🔆 PM Modi at the 26th SCO Summit: India’s Vision for Eurasia
📍 Why in News?
🟢 Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as the organisation marked its 25th anniversary.
🟢 India emphasised a vision of transforming “shared geography into shared opportunities” through the three pillars of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
📍 India’s SCO Vision: SCO
🟢 S – Security: Peace and security as the foundation of regional cooperation.
🟢 C – Connectivity: Strong and reliable connectivity to link markets, facilitate trade and promote development.
🟢 O – Opportunity: Ensuring that the benefits of cooperation directly reach people, especially the youth, entrepreneurs and farmers.
📍 Security: India’s Key Concerns
🟢 Terrorism remains a major challenge, requiring the dismantling of its entire ecosystem of financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
🟢 India stressed that there can be no double standards on terrorism and no country should use it as an instrument of policy.
🟢 Peace and stability in Afghanistan remain crucial for a peaceful Eurasia.
🟢 The SCO’s centres dealing with security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics should become effective instruments for practical coordination.
📍 India’s Approach to Global Conflicts
🟢 The West Asia crisis demonstrates that conflicts in one region can disrupt energy security, maritime trade and global supply chains.
🟢 The Global South often bears the greatest burden of such disruptions.
🟢 India reiterated that tensions and conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not the battlefield.
📍 Connectivity with Sovereignty
🟢 India supports connectivity projects that connect markets, facilitate trade and create development opportunities.
🟢 However, such initiatives must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, consistent with the spirit of the SCO Charter.
🟢 Connectivity should expand beyond physical infrastructure to include simplified customs, digital documentation and efficient logistics networks.
📍 Opportunity: People-Centric Cooperation
🟢 India views the SCO as a confluence of civilisations, cultures and ideas.
🟢 Cooperation should be measured by its ability to create opportunities for youth, markets for entrepreneurs, technological benefits for farmers and better lives for citizens.
🟢 India highlighted initiatives such as the SCO Start-up Forum, Young Authors’ Conclave and Young Scientists’ Forum.
🟢 The first session of the proposed SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum is to be held in India.
📍 Key Takeaway
🟢 India seeks to move the SCO from “vision to outcomes” and from “shared geography to shared opportunities”.
🟢 Its approach combines zero tolerance towards terrorism, sovereign and inclusive connectivity, dialogue-based conflict resolution and people-centric regional cooperation.
🔹 UPSC Mains Question:
“Regional organisations can remain relevant only when security, connectivity and people-centric development are pursued as mutually reinforcing objectives.” Discuss with reference to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
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1September 1, 2026 3.1K 19
