S Jaishankar's '3 evils' message on terror at SCO Summit in Pak

Cooperation must be based on mutual respect & sovereign equality

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday took a swipe at Pakistan during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, stating that if cross-border activities between two nations are characterised by extremism and separatism, it is hardly likely to help bilateral trade, relations, and other activities.

"It is axiomatic that development and growth requires peace and stability. And as the Charter spelt out, this means being firm and uncompromising in countering the 'three evils'. If activities across borders are characterised by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel," Jaishankar said at the two-day summit in Islamabad.

>> 'If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address'

>> 'Equally, it is only when we reaffirm our commitment most sincerely to the Charter that we can fully realise the benefits of cooperation and integration that it envisages'

As Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang listened in, Jaishankar said, "If we fast-forward from the inception of the Charter to the situation today, these goals and these tasks are even more crucial. It is, therefore, essential that we have an honest conversation. If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good eighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address.