Connectivity projects should respect country's sovereignty: Modi
Beijing, June 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said connectivity projects are India's priority but such programmes should respect any country's sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
At the restricted session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao, Modi said connectivity not only meant physical contact but also people-to-people contact.
New Delhi opposes Beijing's Belt and Road project, whose key artery cuts through the disputed Kashmir held by Pakistan and claimed by India.
"We have again reached a stage where physical and digital connectivity is changing the definition of geography. Therefore, connectivity with our neighbourhood and in the SCO region is our priority," Modi said.
"We welcome any new connectivity project, which is inclusive, sustainable and transparent and respects country's sovereignty and regional integrity.
"India's active participation in the development of international North South Transport Corridor, Chabahar port shows our commitment," the Prime Minister said.
He also raked up the issue of terrorism in Afghanistan and how the country is battling against it. Modi said security was also a priority for India.
He also coined an acronym for the word SECURE: 'S' for security, 'E' for economic development, 'C' for connectivity in the region, 'U' for unity, 'R' for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and 'E' for environment protection.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
