Modi says SCO an 'opportunity' for India amid 50% tariffs from US

ANKARA

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) an “opportunity” for the South Asian nation, as US imposed 50% punishing tariffs on Indian goods for purchasing Russian oil.

The SCO currently covers approximately 24% of global land area and 42% of the world’s population, with member states accounting for roughly one-quarter of global GDP and trade increasing nearly 100-fold in two decades.

The SCO also means “security and cooperation" for India, Modi told the 25th summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin.

His statement came as additional US tariffs took effect last week.

New Delhi has pushed back, calling tariffs “unfair.”

India has always believed that “strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust,” Modi told the SCO summit of leaders which was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Our effort was to take SCO beyond governments. To connect common people, young scientists, scholars and start-ups as well,” Modi said.

He said India is moving ahead on the motto of reform, perform and transform. "We are consistently pursuing wide-ranging reforms, which are creating new opportunities for both national development and international cooperation. I warmly invite you all to be a part of India’s development journey."

Modi arrived in China on Saturday – his first time in seven years – for the SCO summit and bilateral talks with Xi.

He is also meeting Putin on Monday.

Modi, during his Monday address, also said “security, peace, and stability are the basis of the development of any country,” adding: “Terrorism, separatism, and extremism are big challenges in this path.”

“Terrorism is not just a challenge to the security of a country, but a common challenge for all entire humanity. No country, no society, no citizen can consider itself safe from this. That is why India has emphasized unity in the fight against terrorism,” he added.

A joint statement shared with Indian media by India’s External Affairs Ministry, dubbed as the Tianjin Declaration, “strongly condemned” the April 22 Attack at the Pahalgam tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead.

It also “strongly condemned” the March 11 attacks on Jaffer Express and May 21 attacks in Khuzdar areas in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.