The SCO’s goal, as a non-western bloc, is also to promote multipolarity. Our membership reflects our own commitment to a multipolar world. As a bridge between the democratic and the “autocratic” world we bring special value to the organisation. Our strengthening ties with the West are not intended to perpetuate its hegemony, which is why we are partnering with other power centres to maintain a global balance of power congenial to our interests.
The summit took place when Russia has intervened in Ukraine, China has intervened in Ladakh, relations between the US and both Russia and China have deteriorated sharply, our own ties with the US have greatly improved, but both it and Europe are unhappy with our unwillingness to condemn Russia on Ukraine.
All this required carefully balanced diplomacy at Samarkand and PM Modi crafted his remarks at the summit accordingly. He made no reference to multipolarity, or even terrorism or security issues in general. He raised the Ukraine issue in the context of disruption of global supply chains causing an unprecedented energy and food crisis. He stressed the need to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region, which would require better connectivity, and in this context stated that “we all give each other full right to transit”, drawing attention implicitly to Pakistan’s failure in this regard.
China’s aggression against India erodes SCO principles, especially the claim that the organisation represents a superior approach than the West to inter-state relations based on equality. A Modi-Xi meeting did not materialise, because without China being ready to de-escalate, a premature meeting would have played into its hands.
With President Putin, PM Modi adverted to the biggest problem facing the world, and in particular the developing countries, of food and fuel security and fertilisers, for which a way out had to be found, and for which Russia too, he said, will need to take an initiative. He said he knew that today was not an age of war and he had spoken before to Putin about the world being sensitive to dialogue and diplomacy.
A way towards peace would have to be found. These general remarks made to convey that India, while unwilling to condemn Russia, was active in seeking an end to the conflict were by no means a “rebuke” to Putin, as mischievously propagated by western commentary. Putin’s own preceding opening remarks that he knew Modi’s “position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns that you constantly express” affirms this.
Putin’s remarks were unusually expansive, mentioning Modi’s birthday, fondly remembering his visit to New Delhi in December 2021, inviting Modi to visit Russia, noting that Russian supplies of fertilisers to India had grown eight times, that large-scale joint projects in the oil and gas sector and nuclear power were consistently being implemented, citing Russian people’s great interest in India’s rich history and ancient culture to support visa-free tourist trips.
Modi himself has subsequently described his closed-door meeting with Putin as “wonderful’, with a discussion on furthering bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defence and other areas, which sums it all.
The writer is a former foreign secretary