Distinguished Prime Minister Modi

Distinguished Heads of State, Heads of Delegations,

Colleagues, friends,

It is a great pleasure to participate in the 23rd meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council. I would like to thank our chair, India, for the efforts in preparing and holding today's meeting.

Since the Samarkand Summit in September 2022, new progress has been made in SCO cooperation across various areas, with more than 30 meetings of heads of relevant ministries and agencies, over 70 expert panels and 90 plus events held in various fields since then.

During this period, the SCO has remained committed to its core principles. The agreements reached at the Samarkand Summit and previous summits have been acted upon. The SCO responded effectively to complex changes in the international situation and significantly improved its standing and credibility among the people of its member states and the international community.

Efforts were made to improve security cooperation and to combat the “three evils,” namely, drug trafficking, transnational organised crime and cybercrime.

Despite the unfavourable global economic circumstances, trade and economic interaction and practical cooperation within the SCO have been making strides; cooperation in trade, investment, the manufacturing industry, agriculture, research and technology, energy, transport, connectivity, digital technologies and other fields continued to pick up pace.

Humanitarian exchanges have become increasingly diverse, and new cooperation mechanisms are being established in startup and innovation-driven businesses, traditional medicine, and poverty reduction.

Interaction with observers, dialogue partners and international organisations has been steadily expanding and getting stronger.

Two important decisions by the Heads of State Council have been acted upon,– one on improving mechanisms for countering security challenges and threats and the other on developing the SCO's work. Consultations were held on improving the SCO's activities and mechanisms for combating drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.

Esteemed heads of state, colleagues,

Today's world is undergoing changes that have not been seen in a century, and the human community is facing serious risks and challenges. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, conventional and non- conventional threats to security are getting intertwined, and international instability and uncertainty are exacerbating.

Under the circumstances, it appears appropriate for our Organisation to focus on the following goals:

1. To observe and expand the unique and proven core SCO principles, to continue to strengthen mutual political trust, solidarity and interaction among the member states and to steadily expand the role, influence and authority of the SCO in the international community.

2. To continue to rigorously combat the “three evils,” namely, drug trafficking, transnational organised crime and cybercrime and to speed up improvements in the Organisation's response to security threats and challenges.

3. To take forward the  Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States until 2035 and the SCO Economic Development Strategy for the period until 2030, which will be approved today. To join efforts in order to promote trade and economic institutional mechanisms, to facilitate the free movement of goods, capital, technology and services as well as to establish new points of economic growth and to increase employment, and to support and encourage region-to-region cooperation and inter-corporate interaction so that the population of the member states receive tangible benefits.

4. To strengthen cooperation in humanitarian areas, such as culture, education, science, tourism, sports, arts, health care, poverty reduction and people's diplomacy.

Water resources are the source of life and development of our peoples. There is a clear need to focus on promoting cooperation in water resource protection and water saving technology.

5. Today, new progress will be made in expanding the SCO. I would like to express my sincere congratulations to President Ebrahim Raisi and President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as to the peoples of Iran and Belarus.

We should continue to actively and consistently promote the accession of new members, as well as to strengthen and expand cooperation with the relevant international and regional organisations.

6. In order to meet modern requirements, to enhance the SCO's effectiveness and efficiency, and to strengthen its international influence, it appears important to accelerate modernisation of the executive mechanisms, and to increase the human and material resources of the SCO standing bodies.

Esteemed Heads of State, colleagues,

It is critically important to promote the creation of a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, justice and mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as to help build a human community with a shared future. I'm confident that through our joint efforts the SCO will be able to overcome various difficulties and challenges and make a greater contribution to ensuring peace, security, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

I would like to close by wishing the Republic of Kazakhstan outstanding results in fulfilling the SCO Presidency mission. The Secretariat's team and I are prepared to do our best to assist the new SCO Presidency and the member states as they move confidently from current successes to new achievements.

Thank you.