India reaffirms its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism ahead of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. EAM S. Jaishankar emphasized collective efforts to counter terrorism, separatism, and extremism, urging SCO nations to act decisively. India’s concerns echo NSA Doval’s call for unified action against UN-designated terrorist groups like LeT and JeM.
India has reiterated its unwavering stand on adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism, as External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar prepares to represent the country at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM) scheduled in Tianjin, China.
Speaking on Monday during his bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jaishankar emphasized that the SCO’s primary mandate is to “combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism.” He expressed hope that the grouping would “strongly uphold” this shared commitment and demonstrate “zero tolerance” towards all forms of terrorism.
“Tomorrow, we will be meeting in the format of the SCO, whose primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism. This is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld,” said Jaishankar.
India’s tough posture comes in the backdrop of a failed attempt last month to adopt a Joint Statement during the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. The meeting failed to produce a consensus document, reportedly due to one country objecting to the inclusion of India’s language on terrorism.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the Qingdao meeting, had underscored India’s transitional policy shift on terrorism and called on member nations to work jointly to eradicate the menace for regional peace and security.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had later confirmed that the joint statement was not adopted as a result of differences among member states, particularly over India’s demand for a strong reference to terrorism.
“India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted,” Jaiswal said on June 26.
Adding weight to India’s stand, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, during his address at the 20th Meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of SCO Member States held on June 24 in Beijing, stressed the urgent need to eliminate double standards in the fight against terrorism.
Doval specifically highlighted the continued threat posed by UN-designated terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al Qaeda, and ISIS. He urged member nations to take firm and coordinated action against these organizations and their sponsors.
“India is deeply concerned about continued threats from terror groups designated by the United Nations Security Council, including LeT and JeM, which continue to operate from Pakistan with state support,” Doval said.
He emphasized that cross-border terrorism is a crime against humanity and called upon the SCO members to hold perpetrators, financiers, and sponsors accountable and bring them to justice under international law.
India’s latest diplomatic engagement with China also takes place amid a complex regional environment. Despite existing border tensions, both sides engaged on pressing global concerns like counterterrorism. NSA Doval had also held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is a senior official of the ruling Communist Party of China.
The SCO, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is considered a significant multilateral forum for regional cooperation, particularly in security and economic matters.
India has consistently maintained that counterterrorism must remain a core agenda of the grouping. The emphasis on terrorism at such high-level platforms signals New Delhi’s increasing efforts to shape regional security dialogues and to isolate states that sponsor terrorism under the guise of geopolitical rivalry.
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As the foreign ministers of the SCO gather in Tianjin, India’s consistent messaging reaffirms its belief that collective action and principled diplomacy are key to uprooting terrorism. Whether the grouping can bridge internal divides to issue a unified stand on terrorism, however, remains to be seen.
