The SCO operates under the framework of consensus, and Singh’s refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers’ conclave ending without a joint communique
Rajnath Singh attends SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in China. PIC/PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday refused to sign a joint communique of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) following the omission of the Pahalgam terror attack and not explicitly addressing India’s concerns over Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism. The SCO operates under the framework of consensus, and Singh’s refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers’ conclave ending without a joint communique, people familiar with the matter said.
The draft communique neither figured the dastardly Pahalgam attack nor reflected India’s position on cross-border terrorism, they said. In his address at the conclave, Singh took a swipe at Pakistan for its relentless support to cross-border terrorism and underlined the need to bring “perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorism to justice”.
“Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,” he said. Singh, who arrived in Qingdao on Wednesday, laid down the broad contours of India’s “transitional shift” in its policy against terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to unite in combating and shun “double standards”.
“Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups,” Singh said. Besides India and China, the SCO comprises Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Rajnath meets counterparts
Rajnath Singh held talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of a defence ministerial conclave of the SCO, focusing on the evolving regional security scenario and bilateral defence and strategic ties. The meeting took place In a social media post, Singh described the talks as “insightful”.
“Happy to have met the Defence Minister of Russia, Andrey Belousov, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties,” he said.
The two ministers are also believed to have discussed the upcoming commissioning of the Indian Navy's Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tamal at Russia's coastal city of Kaliningrad on July 1. Singh also held talks with Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin, focusing on boosting bilateral defence and security cooperation.
“Enriching interaction with the Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin in Qingdao,” Singh said in a social media post. The discussions focused on strengthening defence cooperation and enhancing regional security, a defence ministry spokesperson said.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
