Astana, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for connectivity and infrastructure projects, India said on Thursday, in an apparent reference to China, which is involved in heated territorial disputes with several countries.
Delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit here in the Kazakh capital Astana, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the SCO occupies a prominent place in the foreign policy of India.
He said the summit comes against a backdrop of the impact of the pandemic, ongoing conflicts, rising tensions, trust deficits and an increasing number of flashpoints around the world. "These developments have put significant pressure on international relations and global economic growth. They have aggravated some of the problems that have emanated from globalization. Our meeting aims to find common ground to mitigate the consequences of these developments," he said. Jaishankar.
He said economic development requires strong connectivity.
"That can also pave the way for cooperation and trust between our societies. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for connectivity and infrastructure projects. So are non-discriminatory trade rights and transit regimes. The SCO needs to seriously deliberate on these aspects," he emphasized.
China has invested billions in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The CPEC, which connects Gwadar port in Pakistan's Baluchistan to China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to increase its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments around the world.
India opposes CPEC as it is being implemented across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe through its BRI. The previous US Donald Trump administration had been extremely critical of the BRI and was of the view that China's "predatory financing" is leaving smaller countries under huge debt that endangers their sovereignty.
China has also been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital region and is also involved in heated territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS). Chinese warships and submarines also operate in the Indian Ocean.
The SCO is a principled organization, whose consensus drives the approach of its member states, Jaishankar said.
"At this time, it is particularly noteworthy that we are reiterating mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of the use of force as a basis for our foreign policy. We have also agreed not to take any measure contrary to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.
Delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit here in the Kazakh capital Astana, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the SCO occupies a prominent place in the foreign policy of India.
He said the summit comes against a backdrop of the impact of the pandemic, ongoing conflicts, rising tensions, trust deficits and an increasing number of flashpoints around the world. "These developments have put significant pressure on international relations and global economic growth. They have aggravated some of the problems that have emanated from globalization. Our meeting aims to find common ground to mitigate the consequences of these developments," he said. Jaishankar.
He said economic development requires strong connectivity.
"That can also pave the way for cooperation and trust between our societies. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for connectivity and infrastructure projects. So are non-discriminatory trade rights and transit regimes. The SCO needs to seriously deliberate on these aspects," he emphasized.
China has invested billions in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The CPEC, which connects Gwadar port in Pakistan's Baluchistan to China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to increase its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments around the world.
India opposes CPEC as it is being implemented across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe through its BRI. The previous US Donald Trump administration had been extremely critical of the BRI and was of the view that China's "predatory financing" is leaving smaller countries under huge debt that endangers their sovereignty.
China has also been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital region and is also involved in heated territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS). Chinese warships and submarines also operate in the Indian Ocean.
The SCO is a principled organization, whose consensus drives the approach of its member states, Jaishankar said.
"At this time, it is particularly noteworthy that we are reiterating mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of the use of force as a basis for our foreign policy. We have also agreed not to take any measure contrary to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.
