India’s SCO membership will help protect the region: PM

Tashkent, June 24: As the final process for India’s accession as a full member of the SCO began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s ties with the bloc will help protect the region from threats of radicalisation and violence asserting that it would adopt “zero tolerance” to terrorism.

In his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Modi said India would significantly benefit from the grouping’s strengths in energy and natural resources and in turn India’s strong economy and vast market could drive economic growth in the SCO region.

He said India’s membership of the SCO will help drive the region’s economic growth.

“India’s membership of SCO would contribute to region’s prosperity. It would also strengthen its security. Our partnership will protect our societies from the threats of radical ideologies of hate, violence and terror.

“India will unite with SCO countries to work towards this goal. And, we will adopt zero tolerance and a comprehensive approach in fighting terrorism at all levels,” said Modi.

At the summit, India signed the SCO's Memorandum of Obligations, kickstarting the process of its accession into the group as a full member.

India will have to sign around 30 other documents in the course of the year to complete the process for membership.

Pakistan is also being inducted into SCO as a full member.

The SCO is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO and its membership will help India have a greater say in issues relating to security and defence besides combating terrorism. PTI