India's Defence Minister Rejects Joint Statement at SCO Meeting Over Terrorism Concerns
Rajnath Singh's Stand at the SCO Meeting
On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to sign a joint statement during the SCO meeting in China, emphasizing India's stance against terrorism. He criticized Pakistan regarding cross-border terrorism and urged participating nations to hold accountable those responsible for such acts.
Reports suggest that signing the joint statement could undermine India's position on combating terrorism.
Details of the SCO Meeting
The two-day SCO Defence Ministers' meeting is being held in Qingdao, China, from June 25 to 26. Defence ministers and senior officials from all ten full member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are attending, including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and the newest member, Belarus. The theme of this meeting, hosted under China's presidency for 2025, is "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: Moving Forward with SCO."
Bilateral Talks and Key Agenda
During the meeting, it is anticipated that Singh will engage in bilateral discussions with his Chinese and Russian counterparts. Key agenda topics include border security, regional defense cooperation, and joint efforts against terrorism.
Rajnath Singh's Remarks on Terrorism
Earlier, Singh targeted Pakistan, stating that those responsible for terrorism, including financiers and sponsors, must be held accountable, and a 'double standard' should not be applied in addressing these issues. In his address at the SCO conference, he noted that some nations exploit cross-border terrorism as a policy tool by sheltering terrorists.
Singh arrived in Qingdao on Wednesday to participate in the SCO Defence Ministers' conference. He highlighted that the greatest challenges in the region relate to peace, security, and trust deficits. He pointed out that the root causes of these issues are rising radicalism, extremism, and terrorism, asserting that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with terrorism. He emphasized that peace cannot be maintained if weapons of mass destruction fall into the hands of non-state actors and terrorist groups. The Defence Minister called for decisive action to tackle these challenges and stressed the need for collective efforts against these evils for the sake of regional security.