Indian Council of World Affairs

Mr. Oleg V. Kopylov, Deputy Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organization,

Heads of Delegations and Distinguished Experts from SCO Member Countries,

Mr. Mayank Singh, SCO National Coordinator, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India,

Friends!

A very warm welcome to the XXth meeting of the SCO Forum in New Delhi. The Indian Council of World Affairs is India’s oldest and leading foreign policy think-tank. It is ICWA’s proud privilege to chair and host this vital forum that seeks to contribute to SCO’s upward trajectory as a key multilateral platform for cooperation in Eurasia and beyond by fostering a conducive environment for exchange of ideas and making recommendations to our leaders.

The theme of our Forum today is SECURE SCO: Leading Towards a Transformed Region in the Spirit of ‘The World is One Family’. It is derived from India’s priorities for the Forum as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the vision of a SECURE SCO – an agenda that emphasizes Security, Economic Cooperation, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection. More importantly, it seeks to bring to bear India’s age-old civilizational ethos – what we call Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in Sanskrit and which means “The World is One Family’ - to the conduct of multilateral forums to which India assigns significance in the interest of security and growth for all. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is not merely a Sanskrit maxim, it is a strategy to build harmony, mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence and governance through commonly understood principles.

In a world that has already become multipolar, SCO’s significance in bringing security and growth to continental Eurasia rises that much more. SCO has the potential to play a pivotal role at a time when a New World Order is emerging amidst intense geopolitical churn. SCO itself is going through significant transformation through expansion; it is hoped that this will enable it to play a greater role in enhancing Eurasian stability and prosperity while maintaining Central Asia as the Organization’s core. Needless to add, SCO has the potential to transform regional cooperation dynamics across a range of critical areas and sectors.

India is deeply committed to a terror-free world; its commitment is well known. It has since long argued about the international nature of this menace, its world-wide reach and has traditionally attached great value to regional and international cooperation to combat terrorism. In the context of Eurasia, it would be only right to say that India does not wish to see extremist ideologies in operation along the arc from Chechnya and Dagestan to Xinjiang. We feel that stability in this region is very intricately linked to India’s own security and well-being. In this context, we value the work of SCO RATS and want to see it enhanced. De-radicalization is a mantra with us and we hope to see SCO strengthen its work in countering radicalization which leads to terrorism, separatism and extremism. The need for cooperative action to formulate and implement de-radicalization strategies, especially for the youth, is urgent.

The barbarity displayed by terrorists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025 has shocked and aggrieved the country, the region and the world. The merciless killing of innocent citizens in front of their family and their children on the basis of their religion showed the gruesome face of terror, communal mind-sets, and hatred.

Probably, the terrorists did not comprehend India’s strong resolve to eliminate terrorist infrastructure that continues to adversely impact the security of its citizens and normalcy in the country. This latest act of terror and religious hatred has breached India’s patience. Conspiratorial behavior against India cannot be tolerated.

In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s recent actions against terrorism have set a new benchmark, a new parameter, and a new normal in the global fight against terrorism. The path to peace and normalcy goes through demonstration of power which India has begun to do with the recent anti-terror operations with the full support of its people. We have made it clear; if there is a terrorist attack on India, a fitting response will be given at any place from where terrorism raises its ugly head - to break the back of terror and its sponsors. India will not henceforth differentiate between Governments sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism.

Friends! The linkage between terror and weapons of mass destruction is akin to kiss of death. India will not tolerate nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts breeding under the cover of nuclear blackmail. India’s spirit is too resilient to be broken by terrorism, its threats, its brinkmanship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly stated that “This is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism.” Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world. Any establishment, government or state encouraging terrorism will ultimately get itself devoured by these evil forces one day. There is no other way to peace except to destroy the evil of terrorism and its supporting infrastructure. Terrorism is antithetical to talks and trade.

Dear Participants, SCO is home to myriad ethnicities, faiths, traditions, and valuable philosophies. Every culture in the SCO space is a great repository of knowledge and wisdom. India sees high value in the platform that SCO represents for cultural exchange for enhanced mutual understanding and for attaching a premium to moderation in political, economic and belief systems. Our youth, women, intellectuals, especially should be encouraged to enhance their interactions through various mechanisms. Promoting interactive cultural events, such as symposia of historians, philosophers, poets, sociologists, artistic and inter-faith collaborations, will go a long way. Exchange of young scholars, participation in workshops and seminars, university semester/student/teacher exchange programmes, tourism also need to be given an impetus. It may be recalled that ICWA’s initiative of hosting a SCO Young Researchers Resident programme during India’s Chairmanship in 2022-23 was very well received by the membership.

As the SCO strengthens and grows, the addition of English as a third official language will further facilitate communication among SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners and with the outside world, making the organization functionally more productive and effective. We feel that the SCO Forum can be a starting point for this important transition, including through exploring a change in the Forum’s regulations.

Dear Participants, we have gathered here to deliberate on common challenges and possible solutions. The Forum mechanism, as an intellectual arm of the SCO, works as a platform to suggest ways and means to collectively work in that direction. I once again thank all of you for coming here to carry this journey forward.

Thank you!

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