Home GLOBAL NEWS At SCO meet, PM calls for better supply chains, full transit rights | India News – Times of India

At SCO meet, PM calls for better supply chains, full transit rights | India News – Times of India

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At SCO meet, PM calls for better supply chains, full transit rights | India News – Times of India

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for deepening cooperation and mutual trust among SCO member-states at the summit in Samarkand on Friday, urging the Eurasian security group to work together to develop reliable, resilient, and diversified supply chains in the region at a time when the pandemic and Ukraine conflict had caused an “unprecedented food and energy crisis”.
Addressing the summit, PM Modi said these efforts will require better connectivity and, in remarks aimed at Pakistan, called upon all SCO countries to give each other “full right to transit”.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif responded saying “if we move towards a more structured connectivity, transit rights will automatically come’’. Pakistan doesn’t allow India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia but agreed last year, under pressure from the Taliban government in Kabul, to India’s proposal for delivery of 50,000 MT of Indian wheat to Afghanistan by the land route.
While many see the SCO as an anti-West bloc, Modi said the role of the organisation had become very important when the world was faced with the challenges of economic recovery from the pandemic. Describing food security as a major challenge, Modi said one possible solution to this problem was to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets.
“Millets are a superfood that has been grown for thousands of years, not just in SCO countries, but in many parts of the world, and is a traditional, nutritious, and low-cost alternative to dealing with the food crisis. The year 2023 will be celebrated as the UN International Year of Millets. We should consider organising a ‘Millet Food Festival’ under the SCO,’’ said Modi, who was given the opportunity to speak first by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Modi sought to highlight the progress made by India as a manufacturing hub, saying India’s young and talented workforce made it naturally competitive. With Chinese President Xi Jinping watching, Modi said India’s economy was expected to grow by 7.5% this year, which will be the highest among the world’s largest economies.
“A lot of focus is also being given on the proper use of technology in our people-centric development model. We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today, there are more than 70,000 start-ups in India, of which more than 100 are unicorns. Our experience can also be useful for many other SCO members,’’ said the PM, adding India is ready to share its experience with SCO member-states by establishing a new Special Working Group on start-ups and innovation.
The PM announced that India would take the initiative for a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine and called upon the grouping to increase cooperation in the field of medicine. “India is today one of the most affordable destinations for medical and wellness tourism in the world. WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine was inaugurated in Gujarat in April 2022. This will be WHO’s first and only global centre for traditional medicine,’’ he said.



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