Security, connectivity, opportunity: PM Modi’s SCO call
New Delhi, Sep 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to move beyond declarations and translate 25 years of cooperation into tangible outcomes, while urging a united approach to terrorism, stronger regional connectivity and greater opportunities for people.
Addressing the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, PM Modi said the grouping must transform its shared geography into shared opportunities at a time when the world is passing through uncertainty and instability.
“It is a matter of great pleasure for me to be here amongst all of you on this special occasion of the 25th anniversary of the SCO,” he said, thanking Kyrgyz President SadyrJaparov for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to the Indian delegation.
The PM also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its Independence Day, which India observed with the country the previous day, and extended his warm greetings to the President and people of Uzbekistan on its Independence Day.
He said the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games had offered a glimpse of Kyrgyzstan’s rich culture and the shared heritage of SCO countries.
“This shared heritage and our deep people-to-people connections are among the great strengths of the SCO family,” PM Modi said.
He said that over the past 25 years, the SCO had developed a strong tradition of dialogue and cooperation across the vast expanse of Eurasia and had made valuable contributions not only to the well-being of its people but also to the advancement of humanity.
The PM said the organisation had laid a strong foundation for cooperation, but the next 25 years should focus on converting that cooperation into tangible results.
“At a time when the world is passing through uncertainty and instability, we must transform our shared geography into shared opportunities. And through our efforts, we must bring about positive change in the lives of our people,” he said.
Recalling India’s vision for the SCO outlined at the previous meeting, PM Modi said its three main pillars were Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
He called for these three pillars to move beyond vision and be translated into concrete outcomes.
The PM said peace and security were the first and foremost requirements for achieving those goals, warning that terrorism continued to pose a serious challenge to humanity as a whole.
He said countries could not afford to limit the fight against terrorism to an “action-reaction approach”.
“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens,” PM Modi said.
He called upon SCO members to speak with one voice and make it clear that there could be no place for double standards on the serious issue of terrorism.
“We must send a strong message to countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide safe haven and support to terrorists that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone,” the PM said.
He linked the SCO’s shared aspiration for a peaceful and secure Eurasia with peace and stability in Afghanistan.
PM Modi said India had been contributing to the development of Afghanistan and providing humanitarian assistance to its people and would continue to do so.
He said that in today’s interconnected world, the scope of security had become even broader, with the crisis in West Asia demonstrating that a conflict in one region did not remain confined to that region.
The PM said its impact was felt across the world, affecting energy security, maritime trade and supply chains, with countries of the Global South bearing the greatest brunt of such disruptions.
“Therefore, India has consistently called for all tensions and conflicts to be resolved not on the battlefield, but through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
PM Modi also warned that drug trafficking was not merely a crime but a serious threat to the younger generation and regional security.
He welcomed the establishment of SCO centres to address challenges such as security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics.
The PM called for these centres to be made effective instruments for practical coordination and timely action.
He identified strong and reliable connectivity as the second pillar of shared development.
PM Modi said India supported all efforts that connected markets, facilitated trade and opened new avenues for development.
At the same time, he stressed that such connectivity initiatives must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
“This is also the fundamental spirit of the SCO Charter,” the PM said.
He said the scope of connectivity would become even broader going forward.
PM Modi said that along with roads, railways, and air corridors, countries must simplify customs processes, promote digital documentation and make logistics networks more efficient.
The third pillar, Opportunity, means that the benefits of SCO cooperation should reach people directly, he said.
The PM described people-to-people connections as the organisation’s greatest strength and said India viewed the SCO as a confluence of great civilisations, cultures and ideas.
Over the next 25 years of the SCO, people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of cooperation, he said.
PM Modi said the true measure of the organisation’s success should be the number of new opportunities its efforts created for young people, the number of new markets opened for entrepreneurs, the extent to which farmers benefited from technology and how much better the lives of citizens became.
“This is the true meaning of ‘Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity,’” he said.
The PM stressed that cooperation within the SCO should not be merely government-driven but should also be people-driven.
He welcomed the special emphasis placed on youth engagement under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship.
PM Modi said India had taken initiatives such as the SCO Start-up Forum, Young Authors’ Conclave and Young Scientists’ Forum.
He also recalled India’s proposal last year for the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum.
The PM said he was pleased that the first session of the forum would be held in India this year and expressed confidence that, with the active participation of all SCO members, it would become a strong platform for vibrant dialogue within the organisation.
He invoked Kyrgyz literary figure ChingizAitmatov, saying the writer had given the world a “beautiful and profound thought” that people often focused more on the things that divided them and less on the things that united them.
PM Modi said the message remained equally relevant for the SCO today.
“Our diversity is our identity, and our shared purpose is our strength,” he said.
The PM called upon SCO members to move forward from Bishkek with a resolve to transform their shared geography into shared opportunities, their vision into outcomes, and government-driven cooperation into people-driven partnership.
“With the same belief and commitment, India is ready to contribute to the SCO family’s shared journey,” he said.
