<span style="color: #222222;">Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday expressed his concern about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of State policy and called upon Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States to enforce internationally recognized legal statutes to comprehensively eradicate safe havens, infrastructure and financial networks supporting terrorism.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Virtually addressing the 19th session of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, hosted by India, the Vice President said India condemns terrorism in all its manifestations. "We remain concerned about threats emerging from ungoverned spaces and are particularly concerned about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of state policy.  Such an approach is entirely against the spirit and ideals and the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization", he pointed out.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Observing that the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the economic trajectory of all Member States, Shri Naidu said India has fought it bravely and has shown remarkable resilience in fighting the virus as well as in ensuring economic stability. He said that a people-empowered and people-driven approach has enabled India to keep its COVID-19 death rate at one of the lowest levels in the world.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Stating that more than 60 percent of the vaccines for global immunization programs are being manufactured in India, he said "Thanks to its world-class pharmaceutical industry, India has demonstrated itself as a 'pharmacy to the world' during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Vice President informed the dignitaries that when the whole country was under lock-down, India supplied medicines and equipment to more than 150 countries, including to the Member States of the SCO.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">While expressing India's readiness to share its experience with the SCO Member States in the fight against the pandemic, Shri Naidu said the sociopolitical impact of COVID-19 has exposed the weakness of global institutions.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Referring to India's second proposal to create an Expert Group on Traditional Medicine, he referred to the limitations of modern medical system, which is under tremendous pressure due to the unprecedented global spread of COVID-19 pandemic. "In such a scenario, traditional medicine systems have played an important supporting role in providing effective and low cost alternative to save the lives of millions in the region", he pointed out.</span>