SCO must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting terrorism: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told leaders of the SCO nations that there must not be any double standards in combating terrorist activities and the bloc must not hesitate to criticise countries that support cross-border terrorism as part of state policy.
With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening, Modi said at a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that there is a need for decisive action to deal with terrorism and terror financing.
Terrorism has become a threat to regional and global peace, Modi said calling for expanding mutual cooperation to deal with the menace by the grouping.
"We have to fight together against terrorism that may be in any form and any manifestation," Modi said, asserting that there must not be any double standards in fighting terrorism.
The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well.
Chairing the summit, Modi also delved into various global challenges.
The food, fuel and fertiliser crisis is a big challenge for all the countries in the world surrounded by controversies, tensions and epidemics and there must be united efforts to deal with it, he said.
On the situation in Afghanistan, Modi said India's concerns and expectations regarding that country are similar to those of most SCO countries.
The prime minister said the SCO has emerged as a key platform for peace, prosperity and development for Eurasia.
India's thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with this region (Eurasia) are living testimony to our shared heritage, he said.
As chair of SCO, India has made sustained efforts to take our multifaceted cooperation to new heights, he added.
Modi said India has established five pillars of cooperation within the SCO that included startup and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage.
He said India supports the proposal of reform and modernisation of the SCO. I am happy that Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member, he said.
The prime minister also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus.
A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people-to-people connect.
India's association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.
India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO in 2017.
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TN youth from UAE has tested negative for Mpox: Health Minister Subramanian
Chennai, Nov 2: A 27-year-old native of Thiruvarur district, who had arrived from Sharjah, has tested negative for monkey pox, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said here on Saturday.
Test results from both the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research here and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology have show negative for Mpox virus, the minister said.
Subramanian had earlier in the day told reporters that result was awaited for the sample that had been dispatched to the NIV while test result from King Institute ruled out monkey pox.
On October 31, upon his arrival at Tiruchirappalli airport from the UAE, during screening, the young man displayed fever symptoms and small skin lesions. Hence, he was taken to a government hospital.
Subramanian said the returnee had been frightened and hence left for his hometown of Valangaiman in Thiruvarur district. "This treatment is for his good and in order to prevent the spread of infection," the minister said.
Hence, he was brought back to the hospital by the authorities with police help and he has been receiving good treatment at the state-run facility. Further, Subramanian said that the test result from the government-run King Institute indicated Chickenpox and marked negative for presence of Mpox.
Screening at airports for passengers arriving from foreign countries is going on continuously in the state and international airports have dedicated isolated rooms.
Special wards are ready in government medical college hospitals, including those in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, to provide treatment for Mpox, in case anyone tests positive for the infection, the minister added.
