Shri Rajnath Singh will lead a high-level Indian delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting which will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan today. During the meeting, the Defence Ministers of various member countries will deliberate upon a number of issues concerning the defence & security of the region. Issues related to international peace, counter-terrorism and defence cooperation among SCO member states will also be discussed.
This year’s SCO meeting is taking place in the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil being witnessed due to the situation in West Asia. The SCO, one of the largest political & economic organisations of the region, may discuss measures to reduce the impact of the ongoing conflict.
In a social media post, the Defence Minister said that during the meeting, he will highlight India’s commitment towards global peace, amidst the security challenges prevailing in the world. He underlined that he will also convey the country’s consistent stance on Zero Tolerance for Terrorism and Extremism. He said that he looks forward to interacting bilaterally with the counterparts of other SCO Member states and with the Indian Community at Bishkek.
The SCO is an intern-governmental organisation established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China. Its membership includes India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. India became a full member in 2017 and assumed the rotating chairmanship in 2023.
