Nations backing terrorism must be held accountable: PM Modi

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said countries that support and finance terrorism must be held accountable, while the world should come together to combat the menace.

He also called for stopping the spread of radicalisation among youth.

"To tackle the danger of terrorism, all humanitarian powers should come forward together. Countries that provide encouragement, support, and finances to terrorism must be held accountable," he said while addressing the plenary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek.

"Literature and culture provide our societies with positive engagements and help stop the spread of radicalisation among the youth. During my visit to Sri Lanka, I visited the St. Anthony's shrine, where I witnessed the ugly face of terrorism that takes the lives of innocents," he added.

Modi's speech focused on a range of issues, particularly on the Afghan-led peace process, and India's positive contribution to the activities of the SCO over the past two years.

"India has been a permanent SCO member for two years now, we have contributed positively in all activities of the organisation. We have continued engagements to enhance SCO's role and credibility on the international stage," said Modi.

The Prime Minister is attending the two-day long SCO summit being held at Bishkek. On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi attended bilateral meetings with various leaders of the SCO member countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This is PM Modi's first visit to a multilateral forum after being elected for the second term.

Later today, he will hold a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The meeting will be held against the backdrop of the US sanctions on Iran as well as Tehran's partial withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).