On the following day for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO ) meeting, the selected ministers from all the member states came together for a round table meeting including the host country’s foreign minister Mr. S. Jaishankar and the counterpart Pakistan’s foreign minister Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to discuss regional security and peace.
Jaishankar while addressing the SCO meet has made a strong and firm stand on regional security and highlighted the threats of terrorism in the world.
India has been time and again mentioned the threats of terrorism and its work on eradicating it has been there in all the meetings it holds at any front of the world. India’s prime agenda for any meeting whether in any region revolves around combating terrorism from its root. Today the foreign minister of India greeted Mr. Zardari with a Namaste and mentioned in clear words that ” Victims of terrorism do not sit with the perpetrators of terrorism” on the other hand, the counterpart Mr. Zardari mentioned the Kashmir Issue on which Jaishankar has said it’s a history and world must grow out of the mindset and Jammu and Kashmir is a vital part of India.
The two ministers did not hold any bilateral meetings with each other whereas the other member states have been going through rounds of meetings with each for the agenda of Bilateral Cooperation.
Jaishankar highlights that the relations with Pakistan in the SCO meeting are only limited to multilateral cooperation for the principle SCO stands for. There is no way India has any relationship beyond that until the latter gives firm standing on countering terrorism.
Mr. Zardari is the first ever foreign minister in 12 years to touch down the lands of India. All eyes were on the meeting of India and Pakistan which is unlikely to take place for now. However, people from both sides want the two nations to come together on a common ground for trade purposes.
While Pakistan is going through a major economic crisis it still sees itself as the most propagated issue of India and Pakistan for Jammu and Kashmir. The diversion from the priorities of the latter is quite worrisome on its own.
Adding up to the SCO meeting Jaishankar also mentioned that whilst the light of the COVID pandemic we together must not forget the growing engagements of terrorism in the world. He even pointed out that it would be really very bad for SCO not to come together and criticize terrorism and do something to combat it. It is not viable for any country to hide behind non-state actors and pretend to be doing something. It is high time that each individual must stand against such nuances and maintain regional security in the neighborhood.
Jaishankar’s stand on Regional Security has always been strong and direct and the world is in all praises of the diplomatic relations he brings to the table and the way he has changed the foreign policy for India. Even in the SCO, security, and peace has been prime factor to be discussed from the Indian Mainland.
Being the president of SCO’23 India will take the chance to promote regional peace and security
