India Seeks Strong Condemnation of Terrorism in Upcoming SCO Declaration

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China next week, India on Tuesday underscored the need for a strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism—including cross-border terrorism—in the joint declaration.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the draft text of the Tianjin Declaration is currently under finalisation, with India actively engaging with member states to ensure that terrorism is prominently addressed.

“As far as the declaration of the summit is concerned, the text is under finalisation. We are working with other members and partners to see that there is a reiteration of strong condemnation of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism,” said Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West), during a joint press briefing with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Lal’s remarks came in response to questions on whether terrorism would find explicit mention in the declaration and what India considers its non-negotiable “red lines.” Notably, Pakistan, a member of the SCO, will also attend the summit in China.

Past Concerns on Terrorism References

India has consistently taken a firm stance on the issue. In June this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao but refused to endorse the joint declaration. The draft text at the time referred to militant activities in Balochistan but made no mention of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, carried out by The Resistance Front—an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Singh insisted that the omission of India’s core concerns on terrorism rendered the declaration unacceptable. As a result, no joint statement was adopted at that meeting.

“Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of motivation, whenever, wherever, and by whomsoever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally. We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of such reprehensible acts of terrorism—including cross-border terrorism—accountable and bring them to justice,” Singh told fellow defence ministers at the time.

India remains steadfast in its position that terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, must be explicitly recognised and condemned in SCO deliberations. The upcoming summit in China will test whether member nations can reach consensus on language that reflects this commitment.