by Wang Kai

NEW DELHI, Oct 21 (China Economic Net) –“In spite of challenges, trade between India and China has been going up in recent several years, hitting over $136 billion last year. We have made solid progress in moving away from our reliance on dollar. Organizations like SCO and BRICS have brought us together, and we should make the best use of these opportunities,”Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni, Founder of the Forum for a New South Asia and a close aide to India’s former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said in an interview with China Economic Net.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government concluded in Islamabad, Pakistan last Wednesday. Notably, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar paid a rare visit to Islamabad for the meeting, the first time for an Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan since 2015.

“We hope this will break the ice and open up India-Pakistan dialogue in spite of the absence of bilateral talks between Pakistan and India during this meeting. This gives meaning to the very first article in the SCO Charter, which is to strengthen mutual trust, friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation between the member States,” Mr. Kulkarni said.

In the joint communique issued at the SCO meeting, the heads of delegation expressed concerns about the reduced investment flows, the disruptive supply chain, and uncertainties in global financial market, as a result of the protectionist measures and other impediments.

“The illegitimate, dividing sanctions of Western powers go against the spirit of globalization, starving developing countries of finance, investment, and access to markets,” Mr. Kulkarni said, adding, “The focus of the developing countries in the world should be how to bring people out of poverty, whereas the agenda of the Western countries is to export arms, and ignite conflicts and wars. We should not allow that to happen.”

He stressed that for India, the most populous nation in the world, participation in SCO can facilitate its economic and technological cooperation with regional countries.

“China is sharing the fruits of its own progress in technology, infrastructure, education, and agriculture, etc. to other parts of the world. If India and China can come together, this positive, constructive role that China has been playing on the global stage will become even more impactful,” Mr. Kulkarni said.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the SCO meeting as “productive”, highlighting 8 key takeaways from the Indian perspective that involves SCO cooperation in business, trade, medicine, digital technology, food security, climate action, and sustainable development, etc.

“In this increasingly multipolar world, the emergence of multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization brings together countries from the highly populated Eurasia and becomes a supportive influence for cooperation, security, and stability. We should join forces and promote cooperation at the global level in which no country denies the fruits of globalization and in which there is no protectionism or sanctions,”Mr. Kulkarni said.