NEW DELHI: As India on Friday formally sat down to sign a memorandum of obligation to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tashkent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for partnership among the member countries to protect societies from the threats of radical ideologies of hate, violence and terror.
In his address at the SCO summit, Modi said with India as its full member, SCO boundaries would stretch from the Pacific to Europe and from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean. India’s ties with the bloc will help protect the region from threats of radicalisation and violence, he said. Modi said India would no doubt benefit from SCO’s strengths in energy, natural resources and industry but in turn, India’s strong economy and its vast market could drive economic growth in the SCO region. Calling for zero tolerance towards terrorism, the PM called for a comprehensive approach in fighting it. He also said an independent and peaceful Afghanistan is necessary for greater security and stability in the SCO region.
“India’s capacities in trade, investments, information and communication technology, Space, S&T, agriculture, healthcare, small and medium scale industry can bring economic benefits to the SCO countries,” Modi said.