Astana: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar opened up on India's historical ties with Afghanistan and said that people-to-people connections lay the foundation of the relationship between the two nations.

In an interview with Kazinform News Agency in Astana, Kazakhstan, he highlighted how New Delhi is supporting Afghan people by providing humanitarian assistance, including food, essential medicines and pesticides.

"In India, we have a historical relationship with the people of Afghanistan. And this people-to-people connection is actually a foundation for our ties. I think some of the concerns have raised in SCO summit are very valid. And we are trying to address that not now, but for many years: through more development aspects, through humanitarian assistance, through capacity building and activities like sports, because you have a motivating impact on people. We continue to supply medicine to the hospitals in Afghanistan," Jaishankar said, according to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs.

"There is a problem with food. We supply wheat to a number of people. There had been the attack of the locusts, we get pesticides to them. We have been helping, supporting and contributing. The agenda of the day is the relationship of the people. We should remain the compass in which we are going toward," he added.

Further, Jaishankar, highlighted the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to India, citing ancient cultural and people-to-people connections with the Central Asian region.

Further, Jaishankar congratulated Kazakhstan for its successful chairmanship of the SCO. Kazakhstan took over the chairmanship from India after the New Delhi Summit in July 2023.

Jaishankar recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement at the New Delhi Summit, emphasising that India views the region not just as neighbours but as an "extended family."

"SCO is an important organisation for India. We share millennia-old relationships with the countries in the region, especially in cultural and people-to-people ties. In his speech at the New Delhi Summit last year, my Prime Minister said that we do not see this region not just as an extended neighborhood but as an extended family," said Jaishankar.

"My country shares an excellent relationship with Kazakhstan both bilaterally and in various multilateral fora. Since the establishment of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan has held the Presidency 4 times," he added.

As the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) continues to expand, Jaishankar stressed the importance of considering the sensitivities and priorities of all member states.

"In the past few years, SCO was on a path of active expansion, in which close to a dozen countries were added to the SCO family. SCO partners now include countries in the Middle East as well. As we expand, we should also take into consideration the fact that building consensus should be ever more mindful about the sensibilities of every side, taking into consideration the priorities of each party, and with the ultimate motive of adding value to the existing cooperation frameworks in SCO," said Jaishankar.

He also appreciated Kazakhstan's efforts in building upon the progress made during India's tenure, highlighting the importance of continuity and cooperation in multilateral organisations.

"Kazakhstan took over the Chairmanship of SCO from India after the New Delhi Summit of July 2023. One of the challenges in assuming chairmanship in SCO, or for any organisation, is to carry forward and build upon the momentum built by the earlier presidency. To increase the value of already achieved consensus is the way forward in multilateralism. In that sense, I congratulate Kazakhstan, in building upon the momentum achieved during India's chairmanship in various fields," the Foreign Minister said.

Further highlighting India's bilateral relationship with Kazakhstan, EAM stated that India has a "special place for Kazakhstan in SCO."

"India strongly believes in the centrality of the interests of Central Asian states in SCO. Therefore, Kazakhstan, the largest among the Central Asian countries has a lot of potential as well as responsibility in bringing together the SCO family," EAM said.

"India has a particularly special place for Kazakhstan in SCO -- since we officially joined SCO in 2017 at the Astana Summit. For the past 7 years, we have come one full cycle in terms of Chairmanship of SCO, and over these 7 years, SCO has expanded, and India hosted two Summits -- Council of Heads of Government and Council of Heads of State. India highly values its bilateral relationship with Kazakhstan. In the same spirit, I appreciate Kazakhstan in bringing together all the partners for the Summit this time, including several International Organizations," he added.

The 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was held in Astana last month, which saw the participation of leaders from across the region.

EAM Jaishankar represented India at the summit. He delivered PM Modi's remarks that highlighted combating terrorism and addressing climate change as key priorities.

This report is auto-generated from a syndicated feed