Bishkek: India said Wednesday here that the ghastly bombings in Sri Lanka at a time when the wounds of the Pulwama terror attack were still raw in people’s mind has made it more determined to resolutely fight against the menace.
Addressing the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council (SCOC) of Foreign Ministers here in the Kyrgyz capital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India is determined to consistently strengthen cooperation within the SCOC framework for comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
“Our heart goes out to our brothers and sisters of Sri Lanka, who have recently witnessed the ghastly act of terrorism. Our wounds of Pulwama attack were still raw and the news from the neighbourhood has made us more determined to resolutely fight against this menace,” Swaraj said at the meeting, also attended by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Swaraj said India is open to ideas on how ‘we can make the work of Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS)’, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence, ‘more effective’.
In spite of a turbulent global scenario, SCO member states have been steadily expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in various spheres, including political, security and development, Swaraj told the gathering.
She also said that India is committed to continue working for a favourable environment for the SCO member countries’ economic activities.
“India subscribes to a rule-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, centered around the World Trade Organisation, and firmly oppose unilateralism and protectionism,” she said, amidst the trade war between China and the United States.
India has been a observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. Both India and Pakistan were granted SCO membership in 2017.
Swaraj said science and technology-led innovation and the digital economy are the key areas which could play an important role in the long-term inclusive and sustainable growth.
PTI