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SCO meeting: VP Naidu reiterates India's stance on terrorism, transparency in trade

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 12/1/2020 11:53:23 AM

New Delhi, Nov 30 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu virtually chaired the 19th meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government on Monday. This is the first time that the summit-level meeting was held under India's chairmanship since the country gained full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Without naming Pakistan, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu slammed India's western neighbour for supporting terrorism and misusing international forum to rake up bilateral issues like Kashmir. "The biggest concern that we face is terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism. We are against states that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy... We need to create conditions for stability and economic sustainability," he said. Adding, "It is unfortunate to note that deliberate attempts have been made to bring bilateral issues in the SCO forum. Such acts are counterproductive. We should respect each others' territorial integrity and sovereignty." Referring to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu highlighted the need for a reformed multilateral structure in a post- Covid world. He also said that there is a need for "transparency" if global trade has to succeed and flourish. Without naming China, Naidu said that for trade to be fair, all the members should be transparent. "For trade to play its part in the recovery process, all the partners must be trustworthy and transparent. It is trust and transparency that determines the sustainability of our global trade and nations must demonstrate their compliance with multilateral rules of trade to remain a part of the system," Venkaiah Naidu said in his address to the SCO Council of Heads of Government. He asserted, "While undertaking individual efforts, we must take note of collective efforts to work on this situation. The ongoing crisis has exposed the world to vulnerabilities, forcing us to find ways to support each other." Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also spoke of India's initiative to create resilient supply chains and the need to be self-reliant. "We have launched a New economic strategy: Aatmanirbhar Bharat, selfreliant India. This is the time to bring muchneeded reforms to our global institutions, including WHO. It understands the need for reciprocity, transparency in the context of trade," he added. India has maintained that for any reform, it is essential to keep the changed global order in mind and put people first. "Reformed multilateralism that reflects today's realities, gives voice to all the stakeholders, addresses contemporary challenges and puts humans at the forefront," said Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. While speaking of the Covid-19 pandemic, he emphasised the leadership role that India has played and the worldclass pharmaceutical industry that the country has which is why it has come to be known as the "pharmacy of the world". "More than 60 per cent of the vaccines for global immunisation.