Your Excellency PM Askar Mamin! and my distinguished colleagues ,
First of all, allow me to express our deep appreciation for the Kazakh
Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2021 and the
positive momentum achieved in strengthening regional cooperation under
your leadership.
This meeting takes place as SCO celebrates its 20th anniversary in a
rapidly changing global and regional environment. In these times of
unprecedented upheaval, it is heartening to note that SCO continues to
play a significant role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
India remains committed to contributing constructively to the
implementation of the mandate of SCO.
Excellencies,
The recent meeting of COP 26 in Glasgow has sharpened the realization
that for many developing countries, climate change remains the biggest
existential threat. Fighting climate change calls for resources,
innovation, cooperation and lifestyle modifications to make the changes
that the world needs. As we move towards practical implementation of
the trade and economic agenda of SCO, we must simultaneously, pay heed
to the climate change impact of our joint activities.
Today the world acknowledges that India is among the few large
economies that have delivered in letter and spirit on the Paris
Agreement. A developing country like India that is working to lift
millions out of poverty, has not spared any effort to fulfil its global
environment obligations. In parallel, we have surged ahead in
developing renewables and today India ranks 4th in the world in
installed renewable energy capacity. India's non-fossil fuel energy has
increased by more than 25% in the last 7 years and now it has reached
40% of our energy mix. Along with this, India has also given
institutional solutions to cooperate with the world at the
international level. As a revolutionary step in solar power, we
co-initiated the International Solar Alliance that now has more than
100 Member States. We have also created the Coalition for Disaster
Resilient Infrastructure for climate adaptation. Prime Minister Modi's
recent call for One Sun: One World: One Grid and Green-Grid Initiatives
are expected to lead to the development of a cohesive and robust global
grid. India is ready to share its experience in climate change
mitigation and adaptation in the SCO format.
Excellencies,
The socio-political impact of COVID-19 is far from over and has exposed
the weakness of global institutions. This is the time to bring in much
needed reforms to our global institutions, including the WHO, and
rework our development strategies to face a post-COVID-19 world. For
this, we need a Reformed and Reinvigorated Multilateralism that
reflects today's realities, which gives voice to all stakeholders,
addresses contemporary challenges and puts human beings at the centre
of our thought and policies.
Excellencies,
India today is an emerging economic force at the global level. Despite
the economic devastation caused by COVID-19, India’s agile response in
fighting the pandemic and ensuring economic stability has been
noteworthy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast a 9.5%
growth in the Indian economy in 2021. Our trade performance has also
been strong, growing by more than 20% this year. Despite COVID, India
attracted record FDI inflows of $77 billion in 2020-21 and another $22
billion in the first three months of this year. WIPO has ranked India
number one in the Global Innovation Index 2021 in the Central and South
Asian region. Indian Start ups have so far created 65 unicorns, out of
which 28 unicorns were added during 2021 alone. We stand ready to share
our experience with other SCO Member States through our initiative to
set up a Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation.
India believes that greater connectivity is an economic
force-multiplier which has acquired greater salience in the post-Covid
era. However, any serious connectivity initiative must be consultative,
transparent and participatory. It must conform to the most basic
principle of international law – respect for sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
India has been taking steps to operationalize the Chabahar port in Iran
to provide a secure and commercially viable access to the sea for
Central Asian countries. We have also proposed to include the Chabahar
port in the framework of International North-South Transport Corridor
(INSTC). I would like to reaffirm India’s commitment to cooperate,
plan, invest and build physical and digital connectivity in the SCO
region.
Excellencies,
India considers the 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. It is unfortunate to note that there have
been repeated attempts to deliberately bring bilateral issues into SCO.
This violates the well-established principles and norms of SCO Charter.
Such acts are counterproductive to the spirit of consensus and
cooperation that define this organization.
Excellencies,
Before I conclude, let me once again thank our host, Prime Minister
Askar Mamin for his commendable efforts to host this successful Summit,
despite the challenges of the virtual format. I would also like to
extend my felicitations to China, that will now take over the
Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2022.
Thank you!
