2023-07-05 06:36:50
3 hours ago
By Vikas Pandey BBC News, Delhi
image copyrightRussian government
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue to resist Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin made a speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held online on the same day. It was Putin’s first appearance with foreign leaders since the Wagner rebellion late last month.
Putin expressed support for trade agreements between SCO member countries. The deal, which would use a regional currency, is seen as an attempt to weaken the effectiveness of Western sanctions.
“Russia continues to develop unprecedentedly, resisting all external sanctions, pressures and provocations,” Putin said, emphasizing his stance against the West.
“I would like to thank my colleagues in the SCO countries for expressing their support for the actions of the Russian leadership in safeguarding constitutional order and the lives and security of its people,” he said.
Putin also said more than 80% of China-Russia trade is done in rubles and yuan. He called on other SCO member states to do the same.
He also welcomed the application of Russia’s ally Belarus to become a full member of the SCO next year.
India’s difficult position
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the chair country, called on SCO member countries to strengthen trade and technical cooperation.
But he did not directly mention the war in Ukraine or China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Historically non-aligned India has tightened its ties with the West and faced difficult foreign policy challenges.
Modi visited the United States a few days ago and was received as a state guest by the US government.
At today’s summit, Mr. Modi spoke about regional security, but did not mention China, India’s longtime foe. Indian and Chinese forces clash on the disputed border in 2020, resulting in deaths. Tensions remain.
Western countries increasingly see India as a rival to China. However, India has never officially acknowledged such a position, nor did it at today’s summit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of safeguarding peace and security in the region. He called on the SCO member states that he “goes the right way and strengthens solidarity and mutual trust”.
SCO ‘cannot be underestimated’
The SCO was formed in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian countries to counter Western influence in the region. India and Pakistan joined in 2017.
For Russia and China, the SCO is becoming more important as relations with the West deteriorate.
Experts underestimate SCO’s potential, although international groups such as Brix (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), G20 (20 major countries/regions) and G7 (7 major countries) are more prominent I’m assuming I can’t.
The SCO covers about 40% of the world’s population and more than 20% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The addition of Iran would account for about 20% of the world’s oil reserves.
The addition of Iran as a full member at this year’s meeting is expected to provoke a backlash from Western countries. As the SCO deepens its rivalry with Western-led groups, India may find it harder to balance diplomacy with various countries.
Indian diplomats say they are confident of maintaining an independent foreign policy without catering to any particular group. How India conducts its foreign policy, especially how it differs from Russia, China and Pakistan, will affect the future of the SCO.
Additional coverage: Meryl Sebastian, Zoya Mateen
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