The External Affairs Ministry has said that member countries participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting could not adopt a joint statement. It said, certain member countries could not reach a consensus on certain issues, and hence, the document could not be finalised. Briefing media in New Delhi today, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the defence ministers’ meeting of the SCO. He said India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country. He said the Defence Minister called upon member countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Speaking on the Operation Sindhu, Mr. Jaiswal said, three thousand 426 Indians have been evacuated from Iran, and 818 Indian nationals from Israel so far. He said India wants to thank the Iranian government for opening their airspace.
On India-Canada relations, the MEA Spokesperson said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, recently. During the meeting, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of high commissioners to each other’s capitals.
