Dushanbe: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday ruled out any double standards on terrorism in the presence of Pakistan's deputy PM and foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and called on SCO member states to work together to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism. He was speaking at the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tajikistan's capital.
'Terrorism radicalises societies and deprives youth of the opportunities they rightly deserve. There can be no justification for terrorism, no double standards in addressing it, and no place for those who finance, support, or provide safe havens to terrorists,' Singh said.
He said terrorism costs innocent lives and also blocks investment and commerce. Geopolitical tensions, disruptions in trade and supply chains, worries over energy and food security, and global economic uncertainty need a united response that turns into action, he told the gathering.
Singh, who represented India on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hinted at the pressure West Asia's conflict has put on supply chains. 'In the changing global economic environment, SCO countries will have to work together on resilient supply chains, better trade and investment, and technology-driven development,' he said. India's vision, he added, is inclusive development for all member countries through security, connectivity and opportunity.
He pointed to the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chabahar Port, saying such initiatives can connect Central Asia to wider markets.
Singh reaffirmed India's support for the action plan for the multilateral trade and economic cooperation programme for 2026-2030. He welcomed the decisions to set up a Universal Centre in Tashkent and an anti-narcotics centre in Dushanbe, and invited member states to the first 'SCO Civilisation Dialogue' India will host later this year. He also recalled the discussions at the SCO summit in Bishkek in August-September 2026, where Modi had stressed that the bloc must take concrete steps on security, connectivity and opportunity.