India PM Modi calls for reliable supply chain in SCO summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SC) countries, which include Pakistan, to give land transit access to each other for boosting connectivity for ensuring resilient supply chains for the region in a post-Covid-19 world.

Addressing a summit of the SCO, an eight-nation security grouping helmed by China and Russia, in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Modi said in the presence of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif that there is a need for the SCO to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in the region in the backdrop of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"Today, when the whole world is facing the challenges of economic recovery after the pandemic, the role of SCO becomes very important. SCO member countries contribute about 30 percent of global GDP and 40 percent of the world's population also lives in SCO countries …The pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine caused many obstacles in global supply chains, due to which the whole world is facing an unprecedented energy and food crisis. SCO must make efforts to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region. This will require better connectivity as well as it will be important that we all give each other full right to transit," he said.

Pakistan has so far refused to give transit facility to India to acess Afghanistan by land.

The SCO consists of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzsthan and Tajikistan as full members.

Modi also said India's economy is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this year, which will be the highest among the world's largest economies.

He said the world faces another major challenge today of ensuring the food security and suggested that one possible solution to this problem is to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets which are a traditional, nutritious and low-cost alternative to dealing with food crisis.

"The year 2023 will be celebrated as the UN International Year of Millets. We should consider organising a 'Millet Food Festival' under the SCO," Modi said.