PM Modi, at SCO Summit, calls for resilient supply chains to foster economic recovery
The Indian Prime Minister was speaking at an extended session that was attended by the leaders of the eight SCO member states and the leaders of observer states such as Turkey and other nations invited by Uzbekistan, the host of the summit.
FollowPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have created impediments for global supply chains and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should create trusted and resilient supply chains to foster economic recovery.
Addressing a session of the SCO Summit in Samarkand, PM Modi said the members of the grouping should give each other transit rights to help build better connectivity across the region.
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The Indian Prime Minister was speaking at an extended session that was attended by the leaders of the eight SCO member states and the leaders of observer states such as Turkey and other nations invited by Uzbekistan, the host of the summit.
PM Modi said the SCO Summit was being held against the backdrop of a challenging regional and global situation, and the whole world was grappling with the challenge of economic recovery after the pandemic. The SCO's role is very important in such circumstances as its member states account for almost 30% of the global GDP and 40% of the world's population.
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"The pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have created several impediments for global supply chains and the whole world is facing an unprecedented food and energy crisis. In our region, the SCO should try to create trusted, resilient and diversified supply chains. For this, we need better connectivity and it is also important that all of us give transit rights to each other," he said.
The governance model of India makes appropriate use of technology and the government backs innovation in every sector. "There are more than 70,000 start-ups in India, including more than 100 unicorns, and the country’s expertise in this field can be used to help other SCO members," he said.
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The SCO can think of creating a new special working group on start-ups and innovation whereby India can share its expertise, he said.
Pointing to India's emergence as a centre for medical and wellness tourism, the prime minister said the World Health Organization (WHO) had established a global centre for traditional medicines in Gujarat this year. "This is the first and only such global centre under the WHO and the SCO that should increase cooperation on traditional medicines," he said.
