Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on November 30, 2020, expressed his concern about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of State policy and called upon Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States to enforce internationally recognised legal statutes to comprehensively eradicate safe havens, infrastructure and financial networks supporting terrorism.
Virtually addressing the 19th session of the SCO Council of Heads of Government hosted by India, the Vice President 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,” Naidu said., according to a PIB release
Stressing that peace was an essential prerequisite for progress, Naidu told the dignitaries participating at the meeting that the most important challenge faced by the region was terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism. “Terrorism is truly the enemy of humanity. It is a scourge we need to collectively combat,” he added.
He said, “Elimination of this threat will help us realise our shared potential and create conditions for stable and secure economic growth and sustainable development.”
Observing that the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the economic trajectory of all Member States, Naidu said India has fought it bravely and has shown remarkable resilience in fighting the virus as well as in ensuring economic stability. He said that a people-empowered and people-driven approach has enabled India to keep its COVID-19 death rate at one of the lowest levels in the world.
Stating that more than 60 percent of the vaccine for global immunisation programmes are being manufactured in India, Naidu said,“Thanks to its world-class pharmaceutical industry, India has demonstrated itself as a ‘pharmacy to the world’ during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Vice President informed the dignitaries that when the whole country was under lock-down, India supplied medicine and equipment to more than 150 countries, including to the Member States of the SCO.
While expressing India’s readiness to share its experience with the SCO Member States in the fight against the pandemic, Naidu said the socio-political impact of COVID-19 has exposed the weakness of global institutions.
Emphasising that this was the time to bring in much-needed reforms to our global institutions, including WHO, and rework our development strategies to face a post-COVID-19 world, the Vice President said, “ For this, we need a Reformed Multilateralism that reflects today’s realities, gives voice to all stakeholders, addresses contemporary challenges and puts human beings at the center of our thought and policies.”
He said India was emerging as an economic force at the global level and the country’s GDP was expected to reach $ 5 trillion by 2025. To ensure stable economic growth, he said India has launched a new economic strategy: Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-reliant India. “It prioritises building the national economic strength, resilience and enhanced capacities to be a trusted partner and a responsible global player,” Naidu added.