During recent SCO meetings in China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed his counterparts from Tajikistan, Belarus, and Kazakhstan about the serious Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and India's "Operation Sindoor" to dismantle terrorist groups in Pakistan, stressing the need for ongoing defence cooperation
Rajnath Singh with Belarus Defence Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin. PIC/PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently engaged in significant bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. These meetings took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' gathering in Qingdao, China.
A crucial part of his agenda was to inform these nations about the grave terrorist attack that occurred in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and to elaborate on Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) to dismantle terrorist networks.
During his meetings on Thursday with Belarus Defence Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin, Tajikistan Defence Minister Lieutenant General Sobrizoda Emomali Abdurakhim, and Kazakhstan Defence Minister Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov, Rajnath Singh underscored the critical importance of maintaining continuous engagement in defence cooperation, reported ANI.
He also highlighted the necessity of exploring new avenues for collaborative efforts, particularly in areas involving technical advancements and shared defence technologies.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Defence provided further details, stating, "He highlighted the rapid advances made by India in the field of defence production and achieving self-reliance in meeting its defence requirements in several key areas."
"Shri Rajnath Singh also briefed his counterparts on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India aimed at dismantling the terrorist networks in Pakistan," the statement added.
According to the press release, all the leaders present at these bilateral discussions reached a consensus to persist with their cooperation. This collaboration is set to focus on enhancing capacity building, providing comprehensive training, fostering military technical cooperation, improving military education, and exploring other areas of mutual strategic interest, reported ANI.
Meanwhile in a post shared on the social media platform X, Rajnath Singh himself remarked, "Enriching interaction with the Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin in Qingdao."
The Defence Minister's visit to China's Qingdao commenced on Thursday, where he was scheduled to attend the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. Upon his arrival, Rajnath Singh received a warm welcome from his Chinese counterpart, Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun.
However, a significant development at the SCO meeting was India's decision to decline signing the joint declaration.
According to the government sources, this refusal stemmed from India's profound dissatisfaction with the phrasing and content of the joint document. A key point of contention was the complete absence of any mention of the heinous April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, while, conversely, incidents that had occurred in Pakistan were presented. Given this imbalance and the lack of acknowledgement for the attack on Indian soil, India firmly refused to endorse and sign the joint declaration, resulting in no joint communiqué being issued by the SCO Defence Ministers.
(With inputs from ANI)
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