External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced on Saturday that he will not engage in discussions with Pakistan during his upcoming visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, he clarified, “This visit will be for a multilateral event. I’m not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations.
My focus will be on being a good member of the SCO.” He also added, “As a courteous and civil person, I will conduct myself appropriately.”
Jaishankar highlighted the current stagnation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), citing that there has been no meeting due to ongoing issues, particularly with one member allegedly practicing cross-border terrorism against another. He stated, “Terrorism is unacceptable.
Despite a global consensus against it, if one of our neighbors continues this practice, there cannot be business as usual within SAARC.” This impasse has contributed to the lack of recent SAARC meetings, though he noted that regional activities have not ceased entirely.
In fact, Jaishankar observed that in the last five to six years, there has been greater regional integration in the Indian subcontinent.
Jaishankar’s trip to Pakistan for the SCO conclave in mid-October will be significant, marking the first visit by an Indian external affairs minister to the country in nearly nine years. This visit occurs against the backdrop of continued tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly concerning issues of cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan will host the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting on October 15 and 16.
The last Indian external affairs minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who attended an Afghanistan conference in Islamabad in December 2015.
