SCO Summit 2023: India pitches for English as third official language, calls for reform

Jaishankar issued a call for curbing terrorism and said that the menace of terrorism continues unabated. He said that terrorism should be stopped in all forms.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday sought support from the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for India's long-standing demand to make English as the third official language so as to enable more nations to join in.

Many of the nations which will join SCO either as full members or dialogue partners are more familiar with English than the two official languages – Russian and Chinese. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said, "I am pleased to note that the discussion on issues of reform and modernization of SCO has already commenced... I also seek the support of member states for the long-standing demand of India to make English the third official language of SCO, to enable a deeper engagement with English-speaking member states". Many of the nations which will join the SCO either as full members or dialogue partners are more familiar with English than the two official languages namely Russian and Chinese, he said.

Issuing a call for curbing terrorism in all forms, Jaishankar pointed out that it is detrimental to their security interests. With Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari present at the SCO meeting, he said, "The menace of terrorism continues unabated. We firmly believe that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism. Combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of SCO".

Notably, Jaishankar had held several bilateral meetings with all the member states including China and Russia on Thursday but has not met the Pakistan foreign minister yet. Earlier today, he greeted Bilawal with folded hands and later posed for a joint photograph, which was the only interaction between the two.

Ahead of his visit, Bilawal Bhutto took to Twitter saying, "On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization CFM. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO. During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries".

Further, Jaishankar emphasised upon the need for reform and modernization of the SCO, which is in its third decade of existence. "This is the correct time for reform and modernization to keep the organization relevant in a rapidly transforming world. Discussions on reform and modernization have already commenced and India will extend its active and constructive support,’’ he said. "India’s priorities moving towards a secure SCO with economic development, connectivity, and unity have remained our priority during India’s chair of SCO,’’ added Jaishankar.

The SCO is an inter-governmental organization established in 2001. Besides India, the other member countries are namely Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This is the first time that India has taken over the presidency of SCO since it became a member in 2017. Delhi will host the SCO summit in July this year.