Finance
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has informed his Belarusian, Tajik, Kazakh, and Chinese counterparts about the Pahalgam terror assault and Operation Sindoor.
On Thursday, he met with them on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Defence Ministers conference in Qingdao, China.
The Ministers decided to continue working together to improve capacity building, training, military technical cooperation, and military education, among other areas of shared interest.
According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press statement published on Friday, Rajnath Singh briefed his colleagues on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which India started to dismantle terrorist networks in Pakistan.
Singh met bilaterally with Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin, Tajik Defense Minister Sobrizoda Emomali Abdurakhim, and Kazakhstani Defence Minister Dauren Kosanov.
During his meeting with the Ministers, Rajnath Singh emphasized the significance of continuing to participate in defence cooperation and finding new prospects for technical collaboration.
He emphasized India’s rapid advances in defense production and its ability to meet its defense requirements on its own in a number of crucial areas.
Rajnath Singh also met bilaterally with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun. The two Ministers had detailed conversations about the importance of maintaining peace and quiet along the India-China border.
Singh welcomed both sides’ efforts to restore a sense of normalcy in bilateral relations. He emphasized the importance of resolving complicated conflicts using a systematic roadmap of continuous involvement and de-escalation.
The Defence Minister also emphasized border management and finding a permanent solution to boundary delineation by revitalizing the existing framework on the subject. He emphasized the importance of creating good neighbourly conditions in order to maximize mutual benefits and to work together for Asian and global stability. He also advocated for taking action on the ground to address the trust deficit generated by the 2020 Border impasse.
The two Ministers agreed to continue consultations at various levels to achieve progress on issues related to disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual delimitation through existing mechanisms.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh also held a bilateral meeting with the Russian Defence Minister Mr Andrey Belousov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China on June 26, 2025. The two Ministers held in-depth discussions on a range of subjects covering current geopolitical situations, cross-border terrorism and Indo-Russian defence cooperation.
The Russian Defence Minister highlighted the long-standing Indo-Russian relations which have stood the test of time and expressed solidarity with India on the horrendous and cowardly terrorist act of 22nd April in Pahalgham, Jammu & Kashmir.
It was one of the most important recent meetings between the leaders of the two nations, being held in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and the consequent necessity of augmenting defence production, especially in critical items such as air defence, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities, and upgrades of air platforms. Supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes were some of the key takeaways of the meeting.
According to the MoD press statement, he briefed his counterpart “on the heinous terrorist attack carried out against innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, and India’s Operation Sindoor aimed at dismantling the terrorist networks in Pakistan”.
Source: PIB
