At the SCO meeting, Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint statement for not mentioning terrorism. S. Jaishankar supported the decision and indirectly commented on Pakistan.
New Delhi: During the SCO meeting held in China, India refused to sign the joint statement. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar supported Defense Minister Rajnath Singh's decision, stating that a member country of the organization did not want to mention terrorism. Without naming Pakistan, Jaishankar hinted at the country and said that when the organization's purpose is to fight terrorism, ignoring this issue is unacceptable.
India's big decision at the SCO meeting
India sent a b and clear message at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting held in Qingdao, China. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint statement, which did not mention terrorism. This step reflects the strict changes in India's foreign policy and the 'zero tolerance' policy towards terrorism.
Jaishankar's statement: Silence on terrorism not tolerated
Supporting this decision, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clearly stated that when an organization like the SCO was established to fight terrorism, not including this issue in its joint statement was a serious oversight. Jaishankar said, "When you do not allow the mention of terrorism, it becomes difficult to accept such a joint statement."
Direct reference to Pakistan
Although Jaishankar did not name any country, he said, "You can guess which country does not want to speak clearly against terrorism." His statement clearly points to Pakistan, which has long been accused by India of sponsoring terrorism.
The Pahalgam attack became the cause of controversy
Rajnath Singh mentioned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam at the meeting, in which 26 people were killed. This attack was a sensitive issue for India, but there was no mention of this attack in the joint statement. In contrast, the statement mentioned an incident that took place in Pakistan, which India called a biased approach.
Questions on SCO's working style
The working of the SCO is based on the principle of consensus. That is, the consent of all member countries is required. Jaishankar clarified that if consensus is not reached on important issues like terrorism, India cannot sign such a document. He said, "We have made it clear that terrorism cannot be ignored."
India became a member of the SCO in 2017 and also chaired the organization in 2023. India has continuously used multilateral platforms like the SCO to build unity against global terrorism. This event underlines that India will no longer be a part of any agreement that does not align with its anti-terrorism policy.
Countries included in SCO
Besides India, the SCO includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. This organization was established with major goals such as regional security, economic cooperation, and counter-terrorism.
