Beijing: The SCO’s new Secretary-General Vladimir Norov has said that issues between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and their participation in the security grouping could become ‘impossible’ without a commitment for an ‘unconditional’ fight against terrorism and separatism.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established in Shanghai in 2001 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as founding members. It was expanded in 2017 with the inclusion of India and Pakistan.
Addressing his first press conference here Wednesday after assuming charge, Norov said that the Pulwama terror attack was a ‘direct provocation’ by the opponents of peace between India and Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in February 14.
“The recent situation between India and Pakistan, which has resulted in human casualties, I would like to note that there has been a direct provocation by the opponents of the Indo-Pakistani accord and peace,” Norov, who was the former Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, said in response to questions.
Asked how the SCO mechanism could be used to resolve the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, he said: “before joining the SCO as full members, India and Pakistan committed themselves to strictly implement all the provisions of the legal framework that has been developed by the Member States of the Organisation”.
“One of the such fundamental obligation is not to bring bilateral contradictions and disagreements to the SCO family, as the SCO is not engaged in the settlement of disputable bilateral issues, whether border, water or other topics in relations between individual Member States,” he said.
These issues must be resolved and are being resolved through bilateral consultations and dialogue, goodwill and mutual reasonable compromises, he said.
“The most important condition for participation in a multi-disciplinary cooperation within the SCO is the commitment to unconditional and consistent struggle against terrorism, separatism and extremism. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the two states to participate in the SCO,” Norov said.
After joining the SCO, India and Pakistan have common ground and are ready to work in the SCO format to ensure regional security, joint counteraction to complex challenges and threats, sustainable socio-economic development, he said.
PTI