Respect sovereignty, regional integrity in connectivity projects, says PM Modi

Astana : India and China on Friday acknowledged that they have differences on issues like OBOR, NSG and Masood Azhar which have to be addressed seriously by them even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that sovereignty and regional integrity should be respected on connectivity, in remarks that come against the backdrop of opposition to Beijin

Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here and held discussions on a range of issues, including China's reservations over India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and UN sanctioning of Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar.

"The sense of the meeting was that the two countries have great benefit, great interest in working with each other and we will have differences.

On India keeping away from the OBOR forum, the Foreign Secretary said these was discussion on connectivity and how the two countries could work together. In fact, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BCIM corridor came up for discussion, he said.

"For connectivity initiatives and for success and approval of the projects, sovereignty and regional integrity must be respected while inclusivity and sustainability are essential," Modi said.

"Terrorism is violation of human rights and basic human values. The fight against terrorism is an important part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Whether it is the issue of radicalisation, recruitment of terrorists, their training and financing, unless we take coordinated and strong efforts, it is not possible to find a solution," Modi said.

Sharif, whose speech followed that of Modi, said: "We fully endorse the SCO's resolve to fight the twin evils of terrorism and extremism."

"Pakistan has fought its own fierce war in the fight against international terrorism and, with the grace of God, it has been able to achieve a turnaround in the security and economic situation in our country," Sharif said.