BEIJING – India was left isolated in China as India was the only country inthe eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on June 10 which refusedto endorse China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative for which Beijing hassigned pacts with nearly 80 countries and international organisations.

A declaration issued at the end of the two-day summit of the SCO saidRussia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have“reaffirming their support for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” of China.

“The Member States express appreciation for the joint efforts taken towardsits implementation, including efforts to coordinate the development of theEurasian Economic Union and the BRI and call for using the potential of theregional countries, international organisations and multilateralassociations to create a broad, open, mutually beneficial and equalpartnership in the SCO space,” it said.

In his address at the Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an obliquereference to the BRI, said any mega connectivity project must respectsovereignty and territorial integrity and *assured India’s full support toinitiatives*link>whichensures inclusivity.