This Article is From Mar 29, 2023

Ajit Doval's "Respect Territorial Integrity" Jibe At China At Shanghai Group Meet

"The charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states," Ajit Doval said.

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India News Edited by
New Delhi:

In an apparent swipe at China, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today emphasised on the need for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members to respect each other's territorial integrity.

In his opening remarks at the SCO-level NSA meeting in Delhi, Mr Doval called upon states to have mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of state borders, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations and seeking no unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas," Mr Doval said.

Mr Doval also spoke at length about the challenge terrorism poses to the region.

"Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable," he said.

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India became a full member of SCO on June 9, 2017. There are four observer states - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia and six dialogue partners - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Pakistan and China are likely to attend the SCO-NSA meeting virtually.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001 and it comprises eight member states, namely, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2022, India assumed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Chairship for 2023.

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