Tianjin [China], July 15 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday called on member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to provide greater development assistance to Afghanistan and collaborate in shaping a stable multipolar world.

Speaking at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, Jaishankar reiterated India's long-standing commitment to regional peace and the well-being of the Afghan people.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1945078290223653022

In a post on X, he said, 'Participated in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting this evening in Tianjin. Highlighted that: Afghanistan has been long on the SCO agenda. The compulsions of regional stability are buttressed by our longstanding concern for the well-being of the Afghan people. The international community, particularly SCO members, must therefore step up with development assistance. India, for its part, will certainly do so.'

Connecting Afghanistan's future to broader shifts in global dynamics, Jaishankar underlined the growing significance of multilateral groupings like the SCO.

'The world is today moving towards greater multi-polarity. This is not just in terms of redistribution of national capacities, but also the emergence of effective groupings like SCO. Our ability to contribute to the shaping of world affairs will naturally depend on how well we come together on a shared agenda. That means taking everybody on board,' he added.

His comments come as he undertakes an official visit to China for the SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting--his first trip to the country since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which severely strained ties between the two nations. Jaishankar arrived in Beijing after concluding his visit to Singapore.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar, along with other SCO foreign ministers, met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

His visit comes shortly after recent visits to China by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, both of whom attended SCO-related engagements in June.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected to visit India next month to meet NSA Ajit Doval. The meeting will be part of the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue mechanism, aimed at resolving the long-standing boundary dispute between the two countries. (ANI)