Watch | Terrorism a major threat to humanity: PM Modi attacks Pak at SCO in Sharif's presence

India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly pitching for coordinated efforts by the countries of the grouping to combat terrorism and enhance connectivity without impinging on sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In his address at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Kazakh capital, Modi said India's entry into the SCO family will give a new momentum to the grouping in dealing with terrorism and other pressing challenges facing the region. "Terrorism is a major threat to humanity," Modi said, adding that there was a need for concerted efforts to defeat terrorism and radicalisation.

Modi stressed on coordinated efforts to fight the menace of terrorism, including radicalisation, recruitment, training and financing of terrorists. "I have full confidence that the India-SCO cooperation will give a new direction and strength to the fight against terrorism," Modi said.

The Prime Minister 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.

The Prime Minister, speaking in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif among others, also asserted that sovereignty and territorial integrity should be the key factors in such a cooperation. His remarks assume significance as they come weeks after India boycotted the high-profile Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing in which 29 world leaders took part.

India abstained from the Summit to highlight its concerns over the US $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the pet project of Xi, and passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Earlier in the day, Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the Summit and underscored the need to respect each other's "core concerns" and appropriately handle the disputes. During the meeting, Modi said India and China should tap their potential in cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination in international affairs, respect each other's core concerns and appropriately handle their disputes.

Following Modi's address at the Summit, India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO, the first-ever expansion of the 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 of the induction of India and Pakistan, capping a two-year-long accession process.

Modi, in his address, also thanked the SCO countries for granting membership to India. The Prime Minister said India's SCO membership will certainly take cooperation among member states to new heights. "The drivers of which will be energy, education, agriculture, defence, minerals, capacity building, development partnership, trade and investment," he said.

Modi said on Friday marked a historic turn in the SCO's journey and India was ready for an active and positive participation in the grouping. He said the development of the SCO will mean development of a huge section of the world's population.

The Prime Minister also called for efforts by the SCO to tackle climate change. He said that the SCO will help in bringing peace in war- torn Afghanistan.

India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China. With the first expansion of the grouping since its inception in 2001, the SCO will now represent over 40% of humanity and nearly 20% of the global GDP.

The SCO was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India, Iran and Pakistan were admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana Summit. The Tashkent SCO Summit in June 2010 had lifted the moratorium on new membership, paving the way for the expansion of the grouping that is increasingly seen as a counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. As an SCO member, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region.