‘No Double Standards On Terror’: PM Modi’s Strong Message At SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made counter-terrorism the strongest message of his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday, calling for a united response against terrorism and warning that there could be “no place for double standards” in dealing with the threat

Modi said SCO countries must work together to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including its financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. He called for countries to speak with one voice against terrorism, making security the clearest of the three pillars India has identified for its engagement with the grouping.

No Double Standards

The emphasis on terrorism comes amid India's longstanding push within the SCO for stronger cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

In its briefing ahead of the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said India maintained zero tolerance towards terrorism and cross-border terrorism, and regarded the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure as an important mechanism for tackling the threat. MEA also said these priorities would remain central to India's engagement at the Bishkek summit.

The formulation gives India's counter-terrorism position a broader multilateral framing, as the SCO brings together countries with differing views on security and regional conflicts. India has previously stressed the need for the organisation to maintain a consistent position on terrorism.

Dialogue Over War

Modi also reiterated India's position that wars and conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield.

He called for conflicts to be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy, placing the statement alongside India's broader emphasis on security and regional stability. His remarks come as the SCO summit takes place against the backdrop of continuing conflicts and tensions across Eurasia and West Asia.

The message was also consistent with Modi's earlier engagement at the summit, including his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he stressed the costs of prolonged war, and his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian amid the continuing regional crisis.

Connectivity With Conditions

Connectivity was the second major element of Modi's SCO message.

He backed efforts to connect markets, facilitate trade and open new pathways for development, but stressed that connectivity projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

That position reflects India's longstanding approach to regional connectivity. Ahead of the summit, MEA said India wanted Central Asia to have reliable, secure and commercially viable access to India, while identifying Chabahar as an important part of that engagement.

India's wider SCO agenda also includes strengthening economic cooperation, trade and connectivity with Central Asia. MEA said discussions on trade access and tariffs were continuing, while connectivity remained an important element of India's strategic engagement with the region.

Opportunity And People

The third pillar of Modi's message was opportunity, with an emphasis on young people and people-to-people links.

He urged SCO countries to place such ties at the centre of cooperation for the organisation's next 25 years and highlighted Indian initiatives including the SCO Start-up Forum, Young Authors' Conclave and Young Scientists' Forum. Modi also announced that the first session of the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum, proposed by India last year, would be held in India this year.

The approach builds on India's previous SCO initiatives in civilisational exchanges, start-ups, innovation, traditional medicine and youth empowerment. MEA said India would continue to emphasise cultural and people-to-people connections across the grouping.

What India Wants From SCO

Taken together, Modi's speech framed India's SCO priorities around security, connectivity and opportunity — a formulation MEA had already identified before the summit as the basis of New Delhi's engagement with the organisation.

But the sharpest message was on terrorism. By calling for the dismantling of its financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe-haven networks and rejecting “double standards”, Modi sought to make counter-terrorism a central test of SCO cooperation.

His connectivity message added a second condition: regional integration should expand trade and development while respecting national sovereignty. And by placing youth, innovation and civilisational ties alongside security and trade, Modi presented India's vision of the SCO as a platform intended to produce both greater regional security and tangible opportunities for its member societies.