During the meeting, Jaishankar stressed that “there can be no justification for terrorism” and asserted that India will take every necessary measure to safeguard its people. Speaking at the SCO assembly, he highlighted recent terror attacks, including the Pahalgam incident in Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, and a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, killing 15, urging member states to adopt a strict zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
Jaishankar also called for reforms within the SCO, advocating the inclusion of English as an official language alongside Russian and Chinese, to enhance communication and operational efficiency. On economic cooperation, he stressed the need to strengthen regional trade, citing India’s ongoing discussions with several SCO countries on Free Trade Agreements amid concerns over global supply chain vulnerabilities.
Highlighting India’s cultural diplomacy, the minister recalled exhibitions of Lord Buddha’s relics across SCO nations and reiterated India’s assistance during the pandemic, supplying vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment. He also held bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Mongolia and Qatar, and met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, noting that agreements across energy, space, science, trade, investment, and defence sectors are nearing finalisation.
Recent data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that India purchased $2.5 billion worth of Russian crude oil in October, making it the second-largest buyer globally after China.
Jaishankar’s visit precedes the 23rd India–Russia annual summit scheduled in New Delhi next month, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin are expected to hold talks on bilateral and global strategic issues, including the Ukraine conflict and developments in West Asia and Afghanistan.
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