New Delhi, Nov. 30 (UNI) Emphasising that an environment of peace and security were essential prerequisite for economic growth and trade to prosper,Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday called for collective combat to wipe out the scourge of terrorism.
``Peace is the essential prerequisite for progress. The most important challenge faced by us in the region is terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism. Terrorism is truly the enemy of humanity. It is a scourge we need to collectively combat,’’ he said.
Chairing the 19th Council of Heads of Government Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries which includes Pakistan and China also, held in virtual format, Mr Naidu said India condemns terrorism in all its manifestations.
``We remain concerned about threats emerging from ungoverned spaces and are particularly concerned about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Such an approach is entirely against the spirit and ideals and the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,’’ he said.
Calling for elimination of the threat of terrorism, the Vice President said that it will help all of us realize our shared potential and create conditions for stable and secure economic growth and sustainable development.
He pointed out that India, which became a full-fledged member of SCO in 2017, considered SCO as an important regional group to promote cooperation in various fields based on universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality.
Decrying attempts to raise bilateral issues in SCO meetings, the Vice President said that such deliberate attempts blatantly violate the well-established principles and norms of SCO Charter safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of SCO Member States. ``Such acts are counterproductive to the spirit of consensus and cooperation that define the SCO as an organization,’’ he told the summit.
India is committed to take our cooperation within SCO to new heights by playing a proactive, positive and constructive role in the organization, Mr Naidu said.
During its Chairmanship of SCO in this year, India has proposed to create a Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation. ``As you are all aware, India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world and has created a robust and dynamic environment for startups and innovators to thrive. Since the launch of Startup India initiative, India has more than 38,000 recognized startups across 590 districts that have created nearly 400,000 jobs,’’ he said.
The Vice President said that India offers to annually host the Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and also the SCO Startup Forum.
India’s second proposal is to create an Expert Group on Traditional Medicine under the annual SCO Health Ministers meeting, he announced.
``We have witnessed the limitations of modern medical system, which is under tremendous pressure due to the unprecedented global spread of COVID-19 pandemic. In such a scenario, traditional medicine systems have played an important supporting role in providing effective and low cost alternative to save the lives of millions in the region,’’ .
India’s Ministry of AYUSH is ready to annually host the Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine in India under the mechanism of SCO Health Ministers Meeting, he said.
Stressing on India and the SCO region’s shared ancient historical, cultural and civilizational linkages and common geographical space, Mr Naidu said that it has facilitated continuous exchange through the millennia of people, ideas and goods in both directions and left indelible imprints on our customs, traditions and languages.
He said that India today is an emerging economic force at the global level. In 2019 Indian economy has reached around 2.8 trillion dollars and by 2025, India’s GDP is expected to reach $5 trillion and it will be the youngest nation with average age of 29 years. With more than 1 billion mobile subscribers and over 600 million internet users, India has the potential to emerge as one of the largest digital ecosystems in the world.
However, the Vice President said, the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the economic trajectory of all Member States of SCO. India has bravely fought the global pandemic and has shown remarkable resilience in fighting the virus as well as in ensuring economic stability, pointed out.
Showcasing India as a ``pharmacy to the world’’, the Vice President said that India has been at the forefront of producing quality medicines and vaccines at low cost. ``More than 60 percent of the vaccines for global immunization programs are being manufactured in India and this global vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all the countries in fighting this crisis,’’ he assured the SCO member states.
Even when the whole country was under lock-down, India supplied medicines and equipment to more than 150 countries, including to the Member States of the SCO, he said.
The Vice President said the time has come to usher in much-needed reforms to the global institutions, including the WHO, and rework development strategies to face a post-COVID-19 world.
He said that 10 books of regional Indian literature were translated into Russian and Chinese to encourage a wider interest in India’s rich literary traditions.
As a part of the activities to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SCO in 2021 India would also be hosting a SCO Food Festival in Delhi, the Vice President said.
UNI VT 2016