Xi urges Shanghai alliance solidarity, Modi takes dig at Pakistan

New Delhi, India (AFP):

The SCO summit — which on Tuesday welcomed Iran as its ninth member — saw an apparent dig by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at arch-rival but fellow SCO member Pakistan.

“Some countries use ‘cross border terrorism’ as an instrument in their policies, (they) give shelter to ‘terrorists’,” said Modi, displaying lack of graciousness as the host of the virtual meeting. Although he stopped short of naming Pakistan, his words left little doubt what they referred to.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of helping rebel groups in the Indian occupied disputed Kashmir region. The history of the two nuclear-armed neighbours has been mired in violence and bloodshed, primarily over India’s oppressive control of the Muslim majority Kashmir.

Pakistan also took part in the summit, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemning the “hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism”, while warning that “any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed”.

Both India and Pakistan said Afghanistan remained a key concern, with Modi warning of the risk it was a base to “spread instability”, while Sharif called for an “urgent reset” in international engagement with its Taliban rulers.

Iran joins, Belarus next 

Iran also joined as a full member of the grouping, with Tehran having intensified its diplomacy with friends and foes alike in recent months, seeking to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength.

Russian ally Belarus, which holds observer status, was also told it would become a full member at the next SCO summit.

Encompassing a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing, the bloc makes up around half the world’s population — when including both member states as well as observer and “dialogue partner” nations.

Strategic partnership

China’s Xi Jinping urged the leaders of Russia, Iran and other Shanghai alliance states to boost ties and resist sanctions, as Vladimir Putin thanked the bloc for support during a recent failed rebellion.

Xi “called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security”, state news agency Xinhua said, adding that he urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to “enhance their solidarity”.

Putin thanked the Beijing-headquartered SCO, joining his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed rebellion against the Kremlin.

“Russia is confidently resisting and will continue to resist external pressure, sanctions and provocations,” Putin told the bloc.

“I would like to thank my colleagues from the SCO countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and the life and security of citizens,” Putin added.