Connectivity with SCO member countries is India's priority: Swaraj

Highlighting the commencement of the air freight corridor between Kabul, Kandahar, New Delhi and Mumbai, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said the connectivity with Shanghai Cooperation countries is India's priority.

Addressing the on-going Shanghai Cooperation ministerial meeting, Swaraj said, "We want connectivity to pave the way for cooperation and trust between our societies."

She further highlighted India's contribution in the development of International trade corridors including the International North-South Transport Corridor, Chabahar Port Development, Ashgabat Agreement, India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway Project, and Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Initiative.

Reiterating India's priority as inclusivity, transparency and sustainability, the External Affairs Minister said that such "Initiatives would further strengthen the entire spectrum of multi-modal networks in the SCO space."

Sushma Swaraj further said that economic globalisation should be more open, inclusive, equitable and balanced for mutual benefits while rejecting the idea of protectionism in international trade and handle the formation of trade barriers.

She called upon to diversify cooperation in the fields of innovation and digital economy, science and technology, energy, agriculture, and food security.