Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, today. Mr. Singh reached China yesterday evening. During the meeting, the Defence Ministers are expected to discuss a host of issues, including regional and international peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts and cooperation.
The Defence Minister is expected to highlight the country’s vision towards achieving greater international peace and security, and call for joint and consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism and extremism in the region. He will also stress the need for greater trade, economic cooperation and connectivity within the SCO.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Defence Minister will also hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from several participating countries, including China and Russia.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an intergovernmental body established in 2001. India became a full member in 2017. Current SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus, and India. China holds the Chair of the SCO for 2025 under the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.” India continues to attach high importance to the SCO as a platform for strengthening multilateralism, regional security, economic cooperation, and people-to-people engagement.
