Terrorism not acxeptable NSA Ajiy Doval at SCO meet
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday said members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should respect territorial integrity and not seek unilateral military superiority in adjacent regions, an apparent swipe at China’s actions in the region.
NSA Ajit Doval’s remarks at the SCO meeting also came against the backdrop of the dragging India-China military standoff in Ladkah sector of the Line of Actual Control. (Photo: MEA)
Addressing a meeting of top SCO security officials in the Indian capital, Doval emphasised the need for regional connectivity but said such initiatives should be consultative and transparent and respect the sovereignty of all countries. His remarks assume significance in the context of India’s consistent opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, joined the meeting in person, while China’s public security minister Wang Xiaohong and Amir Hassan, secretary in Pakistan’s National Security Division, participated virtually.
Noting that the SCO region has been affected by global security challenges, Ajit Doval said the goals and vision of the grouping’s charter can show member states the path forward.
Without naming China, he said: “The charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of State borders, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations and seeking no unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas.”
The charter further calls on member states to maintain relations with other countries and to cooperate to prevent international conflicts and find peaceful settlements, Doval said against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
Doval’s remarks also came against the backdrop of the dragging India-China military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control. The Indian side has accused China of violating border management agreements by unilaterally massing troops on the LAC and attempting to alter the status quo by force.
Connectivity, Doval said, is a key priority for India, which is ready to cooperate in making investments to forge greater linkages within the region. “While expanding connectivity, it is important to ensure that such initiatives are consultative, transparent and participatory, and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries,” he said.
India’s approach in this area is in sync with the SCO charter to ensure comprehensive and balanced economic growth “for integration into the global economy and improvement of transit capabilities”, he said. India is also committed to including Iran’s Chabahar port within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), he said.
Besides its objections to CPEC, the Indian side has expressed concerns about China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) resulting in a playing field that is not level and favours Chinese firms. The Indian side has also expressed concerns about BRI schemes putting regional countries into a “debt trap”.
India and its Western partners, especially the US and France, have sought to designate several Pakistan-based terrorist leaders at the UN Security Council by using resolution 1267, but these efforts have mostly been thwarted by China, which has used the so-called “technical hold” against them.
India is also set to hold meetings of SCO defence ministers in the national capital during April 27-29 and foreign ministers in Goa during May 4-5. These meetings will culminate in the SCO Summit to be held in July, the first time India will host the event since joining the grouping in 2017.
