September 2, 2025
NEW DELHI – In a major diplomatic win for India, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, and stressed that the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such attacks “must be brought to justice”.
The SCO nations also strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, underlining that double standards in the fight against the menace are “unacceptable”. The 10-member grouping, which includes China, Russia and India, called on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists.
In a joint declaration adopted at the conclusion of the two-day SCO Summit in Tianjin in China, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, the SCO said, “The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded. They further stated that perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice.”
The condemnation of the April 22 Pahalgam attack came after PM Modi’s appeal to the SCO leaders to adopt a resolute position against terrorism and to work collectively to eliminate the menace.
In the Tianjin Declaration, the member states, while reaffirming their firm commitment to the fight against terrorism, separatism, and extremism, stressed the inadmissibility of attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for mercenary purposes.
Earlier on June 26, India refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in China’s Qingdao, which as it did not have any mention of the dastardly Pahalgam attack but mentioned incidents in Pakistan.
In the Tianjin Declaration on Monday, the member states recognised the leading role of sovereign States and their competent authorities in countering terrorist and extremist threats.
The Declaration also echoed the theme of “One Earth, One Family and One Future”, recognising India’s initiatives.
Member states welcomed the results of the 5th SCO Startup Forum (New Delhi, April 3-5, 2025) in deepening cooperation in the field of scientific and technical achievements and innovations. The countries also noted the holding of the 20th meeting of the SCO Think Tank Forum, which was held in New Delhi in May.
They also noted the contribution of the SCO Study Centre at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA) in strengthening cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
The heads of member countries of the SCO also agreed to uphold and strengthen an open, transparent, fair, non-discriminatory and multilateral trading system based on universally recognised international principles and rules, which promote the development of an open global economy.
The SCO summit adopted a statement on support for the multilateral trading system.
“Member States oppose unilateral coercive measures, including those of an economic nature, that contravene the UN Charter and other norms of international law, the rules and principles of the World Trade Organisation, damaging the interests of international security, including its food and energy components, negatively affecting the global economy, undermining fair competition, hindering international cooperation and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” the joint declaration states.
The statement comes in the backdrop of the tariff turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump, which has led to heightened economic uncertainty in global markets.
SCO member states favoured further deepening people-centred cooperation on issues related to improving the well-being and living standards of the population in the SCO area. They will continue to implement the Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation, as well as the SCO Economic Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 and the Action Plan for its implementation by the interested parties, the joint statement said.
India on Monday joined other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to deepen cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the strategic importance of the emerging technology in transforming societies and economies.
The Tianjin Declaration of the SCO Council of Heads of States, which was signed and adopted at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, outlines commitments among member states on Artificial Intelligence, among other areas.
PM Modi, in his address to the plenary session of the SCO Summit, flagged emerging threats, including cyber-terrorism, stressing that regional security strategies must evolve to meet new challenges.
The Tianjin Declaration building on the UN General Assembly Resolution on Strengthening International Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building, emphasised that “all countries have equal rights to develop and use artificial intelligence.”
The SCO member countries, which includes India, expressed their readiness to work together to prevent risks in order to continuously improve the security, accountability, reliability, transparency, inclusiveness, trustworthiness and fairness of artificial intelligence technologies for the benefit of all humanity.