India calls on SCO countries to tackle food and energy crises

Prime Minister Modi says developing new supply chains will help Shanghai Cooperation Organization members weather global economic problems

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should expand cooperation and develop new supply chains, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Friday.

“The Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have caused disruptions in global supply chains, and the entire world is facing an energy and food crisis of unprecedented proportions. The SCO needs to make efforts to develop reliable and diverse supply chains in our region, and this requires better connectivity among countries,” Modi was cited as saying by Prime Business news.

He noted that “ensuring food security” is one of the most pressing challenges for the organization, and suggested that SCO countries start cultivating foods like millet, to ease the food crisis. Furthermore, Modi called for greater cooperation between SCO member states in traditional medicine, announcing the creation of a working group devoted to this goal within the bloc.

“SCO member states make an invaluable contribution to economic recovery, accounting for about 30% of global GDP and 40% of global population. That is why India is in favor of promoting cooperation among the countries of the organization,” Modi stated.

READ MORE: India seeks to expand trade with Russia – ambassador

The SCO was founded in 2001 and is made up of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Find more stories on economy and finance in TROIB business