Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday declined to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting held in Qingdao, China. He strongly reiterated India’s firm stance against terrorism and urged member nations to take decisive action against cross-border terrorism. Singh’s decision came after he indirectly pointed to Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism, calling on all countries to bring perpetrators of such acts to justice.
Reports suggest that the proposed joint statement lacked any reference to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people on April 22. Singh viewed the omission as an unacceptable dilution of India’s anti-terror position. Consequently, he refused to endorse the statement, reinforcing New Delhi’s unwavering commitment to zero tolerance towards terrorism.
SCO Meet in Qingdao: Singh Calls for United Action Against Terrorism, Plans Bilateral Talks with China and Russia
China is hosting the two-day SCO Defence Ministers’ meet from June 25 to 26 in the eastern city of Qingdao under its 2025 chairmanship. The meeting brings together defence ministers and senior officials from all ten full member states, including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
During the conference, Singh addressed key issues such as border security, regional defence collaboration, and multilateral counter-terrorism efforts. He called for united action to combat the growing threat of terrorism across the region, emphasizing that terrorism poses the biggest threat to peace, stability, and development.
Singh also plans to hold bilateral meetings with his Chinese and Russian counterparts on the sidelines of the summit. These discussions will likely focus on defence ties, mutual security concerns, and regional cooperation.
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