Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is currently in China for the SCO Council meetings. In one of the meetings in Tianjin, the EAM on Tuesday spoke about the Pahalgam terror attack and asserted that member countries need to remain steadfast in their founding commitment to combat terrorism.
Addressing his counterparts, Jaishankar described the Pahalgam terror attack as a deliberate act aimed at “undermining the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide”.
Citing a UN Security Council statement that condemned the attack, Jaishankar stressed the need to bring “perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice”.
This visit marks Jaishankar’s first trip to China since the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. This backdrop has added gravity to India’s diplomatic interactions with Beijing.
Reiterating the SCO’s foundational objectives, Jaishankar said the bloc was created to combat “the three evils — terrorism, separatism and extremism”, which, he noted, often go hand in hand. “To remain true to its founding purpose, the SCO must adopt an uncompromising stance on these threats,” he added.
He also called for greater regional cooperation rooted in mutual trust to stabilise the increasingly turbulent global order. “In recent years, the world has witnessed more conflict, coercion, and economic instability. We need to de-risk the international system and tackle long-standing challenges together,” he said.
Jaishankar added that the world is shifting toward greater multipolarity, marked by the rise of regional groupings like the SCO and emphasised that “our ability to shape global affairs will depend on how well we align on shared goals”.
He concluded by urging SCO members to deepen collaboration and unity to navigate shared challenges.
(With inputs from agencies)