SCO must dismantle ecosystem of terror financing, recruitment, radicalisation, safe havens: PM

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) “must dismantle” the ecosystem of terrorism and send a strong message to countries that practice terrorism as a state policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) in his remarks at the 25th SCO summit in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Prime Minister’s sharp remarks came even as Pakistan took over the baton of SCO chair for 2026-27. India blames Pakistan for cross-border terrorism.

Mr. Modi called for “peace and stability” in Afghanistan and highlighted the humanitarian assistance that India has been providing to Kabul over the years. The Bishkek Declaration, issued after the conclusion of the summit, also called for an “inclusive government” in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing war in the Persian Gulf region, calling for a diplomatic solution.

‘No place for double standards’

“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens. We must speak with one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue. We must send a strong message to countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide safe haven and support to terrorists that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone,” the Prime Minister said. Emphasising the need to ensure “peace and security” in the SCO member countries, he said that addressing terrorism could not be limited to an “action-reaction approach”.

In the Bishkek Declaration as well, SCO member states stressed “the unacceptability of attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for personal gain”.

Seeking peace in Afghanistan

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, Mr. Modi described drug trafficking as a threat to regional security. “Our shared aspiration for a peaceful and secure Eurasia is also closely linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan. India has been contributing to the development and provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and will continue to do so,” he said.

The Bishkek Declaration urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to create an “inclusive government with the participation of all ethnopolitical groups in Afghanistan” to ensure lasting peace in the country.

SCO supports Iran’s sovereignty

Reflecting the SCO’s collective position on the situation in the Persian Gulf, Mr. Modi said the crisis in West Asia has affected “energy security, maritime security and supply chain[s]”, noting that the nations of the Global South were “bearing the greatest brunt of such disruptions”. The Bishkek Declaration also placed on record the SCO’s “deep concern” over the events in West Asia, expressing “support for Iran’s sovereignty” and calling for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

The Bishkek Declaration addressed both the U.S.-Iran conflict and the Ukraine-Russia war by saying that the actions of “certain countries” or groups of countries that unilaterally deploy global missile defence systems negatively impact international security. The Declaration insisted that the members of the grouping have asserted the “inalienable right to develop” and “use atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to pursue equal, sustainable and mutually beneficial international cooperation in this area without discrimination.” 

SCO Development Bank plans

The host Kyrgyz Republic’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said the Bishkek Declaration represents the “agreed positions” of the SCO on current international and regional issues. Mr. Kulubaev announced that the SCO member states have “welcomed” the ongoing work for the establishment of an SCO Development Bank and that they have agreed to complete consultations “as soon as possible” for the signing of a “founding document”.

“The creation of such a financial institution will open up additional opportunities for the implementation of large-scale infrastructure, transport, and investment projects in the SCO region,” Mr. Kulubaev said.

He welcomed Pakistan as the next Chair of the grouping even as the SCO designated Lahore as the ‘tourism and cultural capital of the SCO for 2026-2027. In honour of the summit meeting in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic has named one of its mountain peaks as the “SCO peak”.