Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 1 September called for the complete dismantling of the terrorism ecosystem — including its financing networks, recruitment pipelines, radicalisation machinery and safe havens — while addressing the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Modi's remarks carried an unmistakable edge, with India's strained ties with fellow SCO member Pakistan forming the unspoken backdrop.

India's Core Message on Terrorism

'We must speak with one voice that there can be no place for double standards on terrorism,' PM Modi told the assembled heads of state. The formulation — 'double standards' — is a phrase India has deployed consistently in multilateral forums as a pointed reference to states that distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' terror groups based on geopolitical convenience. This is at least the third consecutive SCO summit at which India has foregrounded counter-terrorism as a non-negotiable agenda item.

Modi also reiterated India's long-standing position that armed conflict cannot produce lasting solutions. 'There is no solution on the battlefield; all wars and conflicts must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,' he said — remarks that land with particular weight given the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with both nations present in the SCO framework.

Three Pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity

The Prime Minister outlined three pillars anchoring India's SCO vision: Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity. On connectivity, Modi expressed support for initiatives that link markets, facilitate trade and open development corridors — but attached a clear condition: such efforts must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member nations. The caveat is widely read as India's continued objection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

'For India, the SCO is a confluence of great civilisations, cultures and ideas,' Modi said, framing India's engagement in civilisational rather than purely transactional terms.

People-to-People Ties and India-Led Initiatives

Looking ahead to the SCO's next 25 years, Modi urged member states to place people-to-people ties at the centre of their cooperation architecture. He spotlighted India-initiated platforms within the bloc — the Start-up Forum, the Young Authors' Conclave, and the Young Scientists' Forum — as practical expressions of that vision.

He also announced progress on a cultural initiative India had proposed the previous year. 'Last year, India proposed the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum. I am pleased that its first session will be held in India this year,' Modi said. The forum is designed to deepen cultural and intellectual exchange among the bloc's member civilisations.

SCO Composition and Regional Stakes

The SCO now comprises 10 full member states: Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also has two observer states — Azerbaijan and Armenia — and 15 dialogue partners including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE and Sri Lanka, among others. The bloc's expanding membership underscores its growing weight as a Eurasian security and economic forum, even as internal fault lines — particularly between India and China, and India and Pakistan — remain unresolved.

Earlier in the day, Modi joined other heads of state for the official group photograph at the summit venue. With the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum's inaugural session set for India, New Delhi's role as an agenda-setter within the bloc is expected to deepen through the year ahead.