External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a subtly pointed remark regarding China and Pakistan, stated on Wednesday that a lack of trust, insufficient cooperation, diminished friendship, and absent good neighborliness warrant serious reflection and necessitate addressing underlying issues.
During his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government meeting in Islamabad, Jaishankar outlined the primary challenges that the SCO is dedicated to addressing: terrorism, separatism, and extremism. While Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang were present, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of an honest dialogue, noting that the relevance of these goals has intensified since the establishment of the Charter. He remarked, “If we fast-forward from the inception of the Charter to the situation today, these goals and these tasks are even more crucial. It is, therefore, essential that we have an honest conversation. If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address. Equally, it is only when we reaffirm our commitment most sincerely to the Charter that we can fully realise the benefits of cooperation and integration that it envisages.”
In his remarks, Jaishankar also congratulated Pakistan on its Presidency of the SCO Council of Heads of Government for the year, affirming India’s complete support for a successful presidency.
