Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stressed the need for territorial integrity and cooperation based on mutual respect in his remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Pakistan on Wednesday.

In the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan since Sushma Swaraj's trip in 2015, Jaishankar described terrorism, extremism and separatism as the “three evils”. He added that cooperation between countries is based on real partnerships and not on unilateral agendas.

Jaishankar mentioned the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah and Russia-Ukraine conflicts as well as the Covid pandemic and explained that the summit comes at a “difficult moment in world politics”. “Disruptions of various types – from extreme climate events to supply chain uncertainties and financial volatility – are impacting growth and development. Debt is a serious problem even as the world falls behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The technology is also promising.” This raises a number of new concerns. “How should SCO members respond to these challenges?” he said.

The EAM also emphasized the need for diverse regional cooperation to promote growth and conflict prevention. “Cross-border activities characterized by terrorism and extremism are unlikely to promote trade, energy flows and connectivity,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar arrived at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi on Tuesday for his two-day visit to Pakistan, where he was welcomed by Ilyas Mehmood Nizami, Director General (South Asia), Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. Children in traditional clothing presented him with bouquets of flowers. Later today, he had a brief conversation with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at an official dinner for all summit participants.

The two-day meeting of the SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif as the current Chairman of the Council. The meeting will focus on the organization's trade and economic agenda.

Mr Sharif, meanwhile, called for expanding China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to strengthen regional cooperation. “Flagship projects such as President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative… should be expanded and focused on developing road, rail and digital infrastructure that enhances integration and cooperation in our region,” Sharif said in his Speech as chairman of the meeting.

The BRI is a $1 trillion global infrastructure and energy network plan that China launched a decade ago to connect Asia to Africa and Europe via land and sea routes. Sharif said CPEC will also help improve cooperation, adding that 40 percent of the world's population lives in the 10 full member states of the SCO.

Mr Sharif also urged leaders to use the SCO meeting to “exchange ideas, share best practices and forge concrete action plans that will benefit our economies and societies”. He expressed his hope for “wonderful results that will emerge from our intensive consultations.” “Our collaboration, joint teamwork expanding academic and tourism linkages, alleviating poverty and empowering women and youth across the SCO region are an expression and commitment of our determination to promote prosperity through unity,” he said.

The SCO includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus – 16 other countries are affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”. The group claims to represent 40% of the world's population and about 30% of its GDP. Pakistan became a full member of the SCO at its 2017 summit in Kazakhstan.

– With contributions from agencies