China’s Xi in attendance, Modi says ‘necessary to respect each other’s territorial integrity’

Hitting out at China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said in order to deepen connectivity in the SCO region, it was necessary for countries to have “respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Addressing the virtual 20th summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) chaired by Russia, Modi minced no words as he shared a platform with Chinese premier Xi Jinping for the first time since the Ladakh border standoff. “It is unfortunate that repeated attempts are being made to unnecessarily bring bilateral issues to the SCO agenda, which violate the SCO Charter and Shanghai Spirit. Such efforts are contrary to the spirit of consensus and cooperation that defines SCO,” Modi said.

“India believes that to deepen connectivity further, it is necessary to go ahead with the basic principles of respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

The summit was chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin and also attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan among others.