External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to the joint fight against Covid-19 pandemic and its readiness to share information, expertise and best practices to the SCO Member States.
In his remarks at the Video Conference of Foreign Ministers of SCO Member States today, Dr Jaishankar emphasized that India attaches great importance to its relations with SCO and has contributed positively to enhance the role of SCO in the global arena since its inclusion as full member of SCO in 2017. He also assured that India will continue to maintain extensive engagement towards strengthening SCO’s potential in ensuring mutually beneficial development.
The External Affairs Minister highlighted the initiatives and various decisive steps taken by India in the wake of the pandemic, including 266 billion dollar economic package announced yesterday. Dr Jaishankar stressed that the security challenges we face today are not linked by physical or political boundaries. He said, terrorism continues to be the overwhelming threat to security and stability in the SCO region and would require collective action.
The Minister also indicated that India is committed to work towards creation of a favorable environment for mutually beneficial trade-economic cooperation among the SCO Members.
Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov chaired the meeting. This video conference was convened in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and discussions centered around COVID-19 crisis and coordination of the efforts to deal with its trade, economic and social consequences. The SCO Foreign Ministers also discussed the preparations for the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting (SCO Summit) in Saint Petersburg, the situation in Afghanistan and the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of World War II.
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Member States approved and adopted a Statement on the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19) at the end of the meeting. Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Secretary General of SCO Vladimir Norov and Director of the Executive Committee of SCO RATS Jumakhon Giyosov attended the meeting.
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