India says it is willing to join hands with Pakistan and China to combat terrorism.
Announcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s weekend visit to Astana, Kazakhstan, where India will be admitted as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the External Affairs Ministry said the fight against terrorism was “incumbent” on all.
“We are going to Astana to become full member [of SCO], and we know the obligations and functions of the member states,” said Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay explaining that counter-terror collaboration with members of the SCO, such as China and Pakistan, was also a possibility.
“We participate with many countries, including Pakistan, in the U.N. peacekeeping operations, and terrorism is a fight which is incumbent on all countries,” Mr. Baglay said.
Trade and terrorism
The comment is significant as full membership will require India to coordinate with member countries both on the trade front in the SCO headquarters in Beijing and at the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. Pakistan, which has been an observer of the SCO like India, will join as full member in this summit meeting.
“All aspects of the SCO will be available for participation of all member countries. So if there is a partnership on counter-terror exercise, then it is unlikely that India will stay out of it. As a member, India will be invited ... and in fact, will have a right to participate. India will determine the conditions of that exercise as a member,” G.V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary in charge of the Eurasia division in the Ministry, said on Wednesday.
The official said this cooperation was part of the obligation of membership.
The spokesperson highlighted that the SCO would be an institutional forum where India would cooperate with the neighbours of Afghanistan to establish peace and stability and hold consultation on counter-terror.
Under the framework of the SCO, an annual counter-terror exercise is hosted by a member country. Mr. Srinivas said that as a member country, India could consider participating in it.
Major point
Cooperation on counter-terrorism is expected to emerge as a major point of India’s exchange with SCO. Mr. Srinivas said India hoped to benefit from both the wings of the SCO — trade and security.
“SCO has broadly two legs of cooperation. One is trade, banking, connectivity, energy and the second is the fight against terrorism under RATS. Both are of relevance and great importance to us. Joint exercises, data bank of terrorists and a lot of coordination. We hope to benefit from these,” the official said
The Joint Secretary said India’s engagement with SCO would be determined by the 38 documents that it had signed with the multilateral organisation on a whole range of issues.
