Xi urges Shanghai alliance to 'safeguard regional peace'
Xi Jinping urged Russian, Iranian and other leaders on Tuesday to work towards safeguarding «regional peace» as he addressed a virtual summit of their Shanghai alliance. Xi «called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security», state news agency Xinhua said, adding that he urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to «follow the right direction and enhance their solidarity and mutual trust».
Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the meeting, his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed rebellion against the Kremlin. Xi's speech followed an apparent dig by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi — who is hosting the virtual meeting — at arch-rival but fellow SCO member Pakistan.
«Some countries use cross border terrorism as an instrument in their policies, (they) give shelter to terrorists,» Modi said, without naming specific nations. «SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries.» India regularly accuses Pakistan of helping rebel groups, and the history of the two nuclear-armed neighbours has been mired in violence and bloodshed.
«Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace,» Modi told the eight-member SCO, which is headquartered in Beijing but hosted by New Delhi which holds the rotating chair. «To deal with this challenge, decisive action is necessary».
Pakistan is also taking part in the summit, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling it an «important forum for regional security and prosperity», Islamabad's foreign ministry said in a statement ahead of the meeting. — Iran set to join — Created in 2001 to discuss security and economic matters, other SCO
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