Respect sovereignty, seek no unilateral military superiority: Doval to SCO members

While his comments on unilateral military superiority are an oblique reference to the ongoing border standoff at the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC), the statements on connectivity were also aimed at Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiatives in the region, including in Sri Lanka and Maldives.

While the issue of territorial integrity had been raised earlier, the issue “unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas” was being raised for the first time.

Doval said India’s approach in this area is in sync with the SCO Charter to ensure comprehensive and balanced economic growth “for integration into the global economy and improvement of transit capabilities”.

India was also committed to including Iran’s Chabahar port within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), he said.

The SCO comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Currently, India holds the presidency of the grouping mainly focussed on regional security issues and the fight against regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism.

The representatives of Pakistan and China participated in the meeting via a video link. While Pakistan doesn’t have anybody holding the post of NSA, Amir Hassan, secretary at the National Security Division participated through the video link.

“The (SCO) Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of state borders, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations and seeking no unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas,” Doval said in his opening remarks at the meeting.

He said global security was faced with several challenges on account of developments in recent years.

“The SCO region is also affected by the impact of these challenges. In my view, however, the goals and vision of SCO as enshrined in its charter can show us the path forward,” he said.

The NSA said the SCO Charter also exhorts member nations to maintain and develop relations with other states and international organisations and to cooperate in the prevention of international conflicts and in their peaceful settlement.

“Excellencies, to my mind, if we follow these unexceptional principles, we can make a significant contribution to our regional security and indeed global security,” he said.

Doval said terrorism and its financing were among the most serious threats to global peace and security and that all acts of terror, regardless of motivation, were unjustifiable.

“All countries should fulfil their obligations under counter-terrorism cooperation protocols, including UN Security Council resolutions 1267 and 1373 and successor resolutions, for the purpose of identifying and implementing sanctions against global terrorist entities,” he said.

India became a member of the SCO in 2017, Doval said, adding that its ties with the member nations go back several centuries.

“Bonds of history, geography and culture make us natural partners. We are common stakeholders in peace, security, progress and prosperity of the region and we believe SCO can play a seminal role in this endeavour,” Doval said.

Russian NSA Nikolai Patrushev said that he touched upon the issues of further interaction between the SCO member states in the areas of ensuring international information security, biomedical security, and cooperation on the anti-drug track, an official statement by the Russian embassy said.

“Emphasis was placed on specific measures to jointly fight transnational organised crime, terrorism and the revival of neo-Nazism… Patrushev also underscored Russia’s commitment to the SCO’s principles of equal and indivisible security, respect for the fundamental norms of international law,” the Russian embassy statement said.

The meeting was also attended by Kazakhstan’s NSA Gizat Nurdauletov, Kyrgyz Republic’s NSA Lt Gen Marat Mukanovich Imankulov, Tajikistan’s NSA Nasrullo Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda and Uzbekistan’s NSA Viktor Makhmudov.

Deputy Secretary General at the SCO Secretariat Nuran Niyazaleiv and director at SCO’s RATS (Regional Anti Terror Centre) Mirzaev Ruslan Erkinovich also attended the meeting, as special invitees.

Patrushev also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. They discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as international issues of mutual interest.