PM Modi Calls For Dismantling Terror Ecosystem At SCO

Synopsis

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the 26th meeting of the SCO Summit in Bishkek on 1st September to take action against funding, recruitment and safe havens without double standards against the whole terror ecosystem. He also pointed to drug trafficking as one of the security threats in the region that needs to be addressed in a concerted manner.

A call to action against terrorism directly

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday appealed to the dismantling of the "entire ecosystem of terrorism" including safe havens, radicalisation, recruitment and funding of the terror groups, and said that there can be no "double standards" in combating terrorism.

Speaking at the summit, Modi said that terrorism was "grave challenge to all of humanity" and said the battle against terrorism could not be fought with a "mindset of action-reaction.

We have to break the cycle of terrorism, its financing, recruiting, radicalization and safe havens. Modi told the assembled SCO leaders that they have to speak with a single voice, there should be no double standards on this grave matter.

Framing India's Three-Pillar Vision

Modi also spoke about India's vision for SCO of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and reiterated his call to make the three pillars of India's vision not just vision but tangible outcomes at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.

He stated peace and security were the paramount need, while terrorism continued to be a serious problem demanding concerted action and countries that have been fostering terrorism or giving shelter to terrorist elements have to be conveyed a strong message.

Drug trafficking is labeled as a regional threat

Modi expanded the security agenda beyond counter-terrorism to include drugs. The Prime Minister pointed out that drug trafficking was a serious threat to the younger generation and security in the region, and urged expanding the cooperation within the SCO mechanisms on security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics, saying that they should become effective channels for practical cooperation and timely reaction.

Connectivity With Conditions

Modi also called for better connectivity between member countries, saying that such projects should respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is typically interpreted as a nod to India's concerns regarding infrastructure projects which cross from disputed land.

People-Centred Cooperation

Modi emphasised the importance of people-to-people ties of SCO cooperation as the main point of the SCO, and said: "The greatest capital of the SCO is people-to-people cooperation, the benefits of it should reach people directly.

A larger cast of characters in the Summit

The summit was chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and attended by Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

A roundtable discussion took place at the congress hall of the city of Bishkek, at which representatives of 10 member countries, 15 partner countries and two observer countries participated.

Continuity with previous grades

Modi's statement is part of the Indian line at each of the successive SCO summits. In 2025, at the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin, Modi had also expressed a desire for coordinated measures against terror financing and radicalisation, expressing gratitude for the solidarity he has received from member countries after the terror attack in Pahalgam and called on them to hold accountable the states that support cross-border terrorism.

What is not explicitly stated needs to be read between the lines

As Pakistan's representative was at the summit as one of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), analysts in the region read Modi's message on "no double standards" as a continuation of India's pressure on Pakistan for its cross-border terrorism.