India has been highly critical of the megaproject, as the $ 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of the OBOR, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
A joint statement, issued at the end of the 19th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO, said that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support for the OBOR initiative.
The virtual summit was hosted by India and chaired by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Foreign Ministry (West) Secretary Vikas Swarup said SCO member states of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended today’s meeting at the prime minister level. He said that Pakistan was represented by its parliamentary foreign affairs secretary.
“The Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, reaffirming their support for China’s One Belt One Route Initiative (OBOR)” , the statement said.
India has argued that it cannot accept a project that ignores its fundamental concerns about sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China had launched the OBOR initiative in 2013 with the aim of linking Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
The SCO is an eight-nation bloc that is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO. India and Pakistan became permanent members of the SCO in 2017.
The joint statement also said that Russia’s initiative to create a greater Eurasian partnership was noted with the participation of the SCO countries, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as other interested states. and multilateral associations.
He said that the Heads of Delegation emphasized the relevance of promoting and expanding cooperation between SCO member states in the field of infrastructure connectivity and the creation of a modern transport infrastructure.
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