Capping a two-year-long process, India and Pakistan on Friday became full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated security grouping that is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.
"India and Pakistan are now members of the SCO. It is a very important moment for us," Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is the current chair of the SCO, said, making the announcement at the summit of the grouping here.
Addressing the annual summit of the organisation in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly pitched for coordinated efforts among SCO members to combat terrorism and enhance connectivity without impinging on sovereignty and territorial integrity as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif looked on. Modi exchanging pleasantries with Sharif at the Astana Opera on Thursday evening created buzz. The Congress on Friday criticised the PM for exchanging pleasantries with Sharif, without bringing up the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, and the ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control.
Sharif, in his address, congratulated India for joining the SCO. He also called for "leaving a legacy of peace and amity for future generations, and not a toxic harvest of conflict and animosity". "Instead of talking about counterweights and containment, let us create shared spaces for all," he said. Jinping came with a proposal for the SCO to chalk out a five-year outline to implement the Treaty of Long-term Good Neighborliness Friendship and Cooperation.
Modi said unless coordinated efforts were made to contain radicalisation, recruitment of terrorists, their training and financing, it is impossible to find a solution. He hoped that India's entry into the SCO will give a new momentum to the grouping in dealing with terrorism and other pressing challenges facing the region.
He also spoke on the need for enhancing connectivity in the region and said it was the key for boosting trade and investment."We have extensive cooperation with SCO nations. We want to deepen the focus on connectivity," he said. He, however, added that sovereignty and territorial integrity should be the key factors in such a cooperation, referring to India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said besides connectivity, it is also important to ensure inclusivity and sustainability.
This apart, Indian films made their presence felt at the SCO meet. Jinping spoke very highly of Indian films. He told PM Modi that he watched Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal, and liked it.
At the banquet hall in the Palace of Independence, classic Bollywood numbers like 'Awaara Hoon' and 'Mera Joota Hai Japani' from movies starring Raj Kapoor received loud applause from the leaders in attendance at the summit. The two songs were played during the luncheon.
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