New Delhi, Sep 1: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) unanimously adopted the Tianjin Declaration, which strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.
SCO members expressed their “deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded”. The members further said perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice.
The Member States also stressed that attempts to use terrorist, separatist, and extremist groups for mercenary purposes are not acceptable. SCO strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and said “double standards” in the fight against terrorism are “unacceptable”. They called on the international community to combat terrorism, including the cross-border movement of terrorists.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi said India has been suffering due to terrorism for four decades now, and many mothers have lost their children to this scourge. “Recently, we saw a very ugly form of terrorism in Pahalgam. I thank the friends who stood with us during this crisis. This was not just an attack on India’s soul, but an open challenge to every country believing in humanity. So a question arises, is open support by some countries to terrorism acceptable?”
The Prime Minister said security, peace, and stability are critical for every country’s development. “And terrorism, separatism, and radicalism are big challenges on this path. Terrorism is not important for any one country, but a challenge for all humanity. That’s why India has stressed unity in the war against terror,” he said.
Earlier, the SCO summit at Tianjin in China became a show of strength and unity for key Eurasian powers India, Russia, and China. Prime Minister Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping were seen exchanging smiles, hugs, and handshakes. The optics sent a clear message amid US President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive.
Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Putin were seen walking hand in hand, indicating that US threats won’t make India capitulate and ruin its long-time ties with Moscow. The two leaders then approached Chinese President Xi, and the trio is seen sharing a laugh. The animated chat triggered speculation about the subject they discussed. But their body language showed an ease that will keep the US guessing.