Need to build resilient supply chains, boost connectivity: PM Modi at SCO

India assumes rotational annual presidency of SCO summit nations; China, Russia and other countries offer support for summit next year in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations to build resilient supply chains in the wake of the Covid pandemic, at the 22nd SCO Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday. He stressed that greater connectivity among nations in the central Asian region and other member nations such as India would be needed to achieve this.

"The pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing unprecedented energy and food crises. SCO should strive to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region. For this, better connectivity will be required," Modi said at the summit. He also urged SCO nations to give full transit rights to each other, in an apparent reference to Pakistan which has periodically denied India the right to fly through its airspace.

The PM attended two leaders' sessions on September 16. The first consisted of the SCO members, namely, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and saw discussions on issues of mutual interest such as security and economic cooperation in the region, officials said. The other session saw extended participation of the six SCO dialogue partners. The Ministry of External Affairs said Modi is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with other SCO leaders on Friday, and will return home on Friday night.

The session also saw India assuming the rotational presidency of the SCO for a year, with the 23rd SCO Summit set to be held in India in 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated India on its assumption of the presidency and offered his country's support to it. “We will support India for its presidency next year," Jinping said, according to reports by news agency ANI. Friday's summit was the fifth that India participated in as a full-fledged member.

The summit is expected to finalise the 'Samarkand declaration' and other documents. The joint declaration of SCO nations would come later in the evening, MEA officials said.

India's startup story

Modi also dwelt on India's burgeoning start-up ecosystem at the summit. "We are supporting innovation in every sector. There are over 70,000 start-ups in India today, of which over 100 are unicorns. This experience of ours can be of use to many other SCO members as well. For this purpose, we are ready to share our experience with SCO member countries, by establishing a new special working group on start-ups and innovation," he said.

The SCO council of heads of governments deals with trade, economy and the cultural agenda of the grouping. During India's chairmanship of the council in 2020, the Modi government had shaped the first forums on start-ups, MSMEs and young scientists.

The Prime Minister said India is making progress in turning into a manufacturing hub. "India's young and talented workforce makes us naturally competitive. India's economy is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world's major economies", he said. "There is also a lot of focus on proper use of technology in our people-centric development model."

Food security

Modi also touched upon the issue of food security, a topic that has entered the agenda of almost every SCO leader at the summit due to strained supply of wheat after the Ukraine war broke out. "The world today faces another major challenge-–ensuring the food security of our citizens. One possible solution to this problem is to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets," Modi said.

He argued that millets are a 'superfood' and have been grown for thousands of years, not only in SCO countries, but in many other parts of the world. He said they represented a traditional, nutritious and low-cost alternative to the food crisis. The year 2023 will be celebrated as the UN International Year of Millets. Modi suggested the SCO should consider organising a 'Millet Food Festival'.

He added that India has become one of the most affordable destinations for medical and wellness tourism in the world. The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine was inaugurated in Gujarat in April 2022. "This will be the WHO's first and only Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. We should increase cooperation on traditional medicine among SCO countries. For this, India will take initiatives on a new SCO working group on traditional medicine," he said.