Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan): The world needs to take the issue of terrorism as seriously as it takes climate change and pandemics, India told the international community on Tuesday (October 12). India also said that cross-border terrorism is not statecraft but simply another form of the menace, making a veiled dig on Pakistan.
Addressing the sixth meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also asserted that connectivity must respect the most basic principle of international relations – respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, an apparent reference to India’s objection to China’s ambitious infrastructure development plans in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“If peace and development is our common goal, the biggest enemy we must overcome is terrorism. In this day and age, we cannot countenance its use by one state against another. Cross-border terrorism is not statecraft; it is simply another form of terrorism,” he told the gathering without naming any country. He said the international community “must unite against this menace, as seriously as it does on issues like climate change and pandemics.”
“Any calculation that extremism, radicalisation, violence and bigotry can be used to advance interests is a very short-sighted one. Such forces will come back to haunt those who nurture them. Lack of stability will also undermine our collective efforts to get COVID under control. The situation in Afghanistan is, therefore, of grave concern,” he said.
Jaishankar had earlier this week said that India was closely following the developments in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of the Taliban regime meeting the expectations of the international community as elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2593. The UNSC resolution 2593 unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
The Taliban, ousted from power by the US shortly after the 9/11 attacks, seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, ousting the previous elected government which was backed by the West. India has called for ensuring that no country “tries to take advantage of the delicate situation in Afghanistan and use it for its own selfish interests.”
Jaishankar said that the voice of the CICA can play a positive role in shaping global response towards the developments in Afghanistan. “Highlighted that Afghanistan developments have generated understandable concern. Voice of CICA can be a positive factor in shaping a global response,” he tweeted.
In his speech, Jaishankar also said that promotion of economic and social activity is intrinsic to progress and prosperity. Asia, in particular, suffers from a deficit of connectivity which is so essential for that purpose, he added.
“As we build these modern arteries of commerce, it is absolutely essential that the most basic principles of international relations are observed. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations rank foremost among them,” he said, amid China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar arrived in Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan on Monday (October 11) on the second leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia.
