Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led a high-level delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 28 April 2026. The Ministry of Defence had announced ahead of the visit that the deliberations would focus on regional security, counter-terrorism, and defence cooperation among member states. The ministry stated that the defence ministers of various member countries would deliberate on issues concerning the defence and security of the region, with discussions on international peace, counter-terrorism, and defence cooperation among SCO member states.
Key Excerpts from the Address
In his address at the plenary, the Defence Minister outlined India’s position on cross-border terrorism, underscoring the need to forge a unified front to tackle the “evils” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism by eliminating safe havens and rejecting any political exceptions. He further asserted that the issue of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism, which attacks the sovereignty of a nation, must not be overlooked, as there is no place for double standards. He stated that the SCO should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who abet, shelter, and provide safe havens to terrorists.
The minister added that SCO members emphasised the symbolic significance of 2026, which marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the organisation, and that its role is becoming more important than ever due to growing unpredictability and uncertainty.
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, he urged restraint and dialogue: “We should continue to follow the path of dialogue and diplomacy and not of unrelenting force… an eye for an eye makes everyone blind… The real test of power is not in using it against the poor and the weak, but to use it in the interest of those who are unable to defend themselves.”
Bilateral Meetings on the Sidelines
On the margins of the conclave, Rajnath Singh held a series of bilateral meetings. He met Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov.
He also held separate meetings with the defence ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. During the meeting with the Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich, both sides discussed ways to strengthen their existing bilateral defence cooperation. The Defence Minister gifted two Bhishm Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes to the Kyrgyz side, indigenously developed in India for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and search and rescue during natural calamities. He also announced the completion of the project to provide 12 sets of computer systems for the IT centres of the Kyrgyz Military Institute in Bishkek and Military Unit 36806 in Osh, followed by the installation of war gaming software and on-the-job training for Kyrgyz Armed Forces personnel.
Ahead of the bilateral meetings, Rajnath Singh and the other Defence Ministers paid a courtesy call on Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and laid wreaths at Victory Square in Bishkek. In his interaction with the Belarusian Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin stated on X that the talks “focussed on strengthening defence cooperation between both countries.”
