SCO Must Acknowledge Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty for Trade and Connectivity Initiatives

S Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, emphasized the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) trade and connectivity initiatives. He made these remarks at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad, where he was the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade. Jaishankar's comments came in response to Pakistan's proposal to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and include it in a "robust SCO connectivity framework." Jaishankar suggested that solutions to global challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic could be found in the SCO Charter, which emphasizes mutual respect and sovereign equality.

Key Takeaways:

• Jaishankar emphasized the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty in SCO trade and connectivity initiatives, suggesting that such cooperation must be based on "mutual respect and sovereign equality."
• He noted that Article 1 of the SCO Charter focuses on strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good neighbourliness, and that the Charter is clear on countering terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
• Jaishankar suggested that SCO member states could gain from cooperation in areas such as industrial cooperation, MSME collaboration, and encouraging investment flows.
• He offered to share the benefits of India's global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Global Biofuel Alliance, and digital public infrastructure.
• Jaishankar also pitched for "reformed multilateralism" and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council in the permanent and non-permanent categories.

Statistics:

• India is the first country to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade through Jaishankar's visit to Islamabad.
• The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been a contentious issue between India and Pakistan, as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
• The SCO Charter emphasizes mutual respect and sovereign equality, mutual trust, friendship, and good neighbourliness.
• The SCO Charter also identifies terrorism, separatism, and extremism as key challenges that the organization is committed to combating.

Sources:

• Hindustan Times, "SCO must acknowledge territorial integrity and sovereignty for trade and connectivity initiatives: Jaishankar"