New Delhi, 05th July 2023: India refused to support China’s grandiose Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Tuesday, becoming the first country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to do so.
Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the BRI in a proclamation released after a virtual summit hosted by India.
According to an official declaration, the member states also thought it was essential to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030, which was adopted by “interested member states,” as well as projects aimed at promoting cooperation in areas such as digital economy, high technology, and modernisation of existing international road and rail transport routes.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of improving connectivity while emphasising the importance of adhering to the basic principles of the SCO charter, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member nations.
The summit, chaired by PM Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping.
