India and Russia Strengthen Ties at SCO Meeting in Beijing

High-Level Discussions at the SCO Security Council

Beijing, June 24: On Tuesday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval engaged in discussions with Aleksandr Venediktov, the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, during the 20th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Security Council Secretaries held in Beijing.

The Indian Embassy in China shared on X that, "H.E. Aleksandr Venediktov, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, called on NSA Shri Ajit Doval today on the sidelines of the 20th Meeting of the SCO Security Council Secretaries in Beijing."

This significant meeting between India and Russia occurs amidst ongoing multilateral dialogues within the SCO framework, focusing on security, regional stability, and counter-terrorism as key agenda items.

Prior to this, NSA Doval also met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

This meeting was part of Doval's visit to China for the SCO forum, which gathers top security officials from major Eurasian nations.

During their discussions, Doval and Wang evaluated the recent developments in India-China relations and explored avenues to enhance cooperation between the two nations.

The MEA noted that both parties emphasized the need for increased people-to-people interactions and collaboration across various sectors.

NSA Doval expressed his anticipation for a future meeting with Wang Yi in India at a mutually agreeable time for the 24th round of Special Representative Talks.

In a related matter, India has advocated for the inclusion of a mention regarding the recent Pahalgam terror attack in one of the documents to be ratified at the SCO summit, which is chaired by China. This highlights India's ongoing commitment to addressing terrorism through collaborative international efforts.

The SCO, founded in June 2001 in Shanghai, serves as a permanent intergovernmental organization dedicated to security, economic collaboration, and regional connectivity. Its members include India, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.