Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, on Thursday.
Taking to X, Rajnath Singh posted, “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.”
Happy to have met the Defence Minister of Russia, Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties. pic.twitter.com/i9yvyS1gQR
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 26, 2025
Singh’s meeting with Belousov took place shortly after his arrival at the summit venue, where the Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun welcomed him.
Singh later joined Admiral Dong and other attending defence leaders for a group photograph marking the start of the official proceedings.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif arrived at the location after Singh, as SCO members gathered for the high-level defence dialogue.
The SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting, held from 25–26 June, brings together defence chiefs from member nations to deliberate on regional and global security, counter-terrorism cooperation, and the strengthening of defence partnerships among participating countries.
India’s agenda at SCO
In an official release, India’s Ministry of Defence noted, “Defence Ministry is expected to highlight India’s continued commitment to the principles and mandate of the SCO, outline India’s vision towards achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region, and stress on the need for greater trade, economic cooperation and connectivity within SCO. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of some participating countries, including China and Russia, on the sidelines of the meeting.”
India places strong strategic value on the SCO as a forum that promotes multilateral engagement across political, economic, and people-centric dimensions, according to the Ministry.
“SCO pursues its policy based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity of nations, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, understanding and equality of all member states,” the statement added.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
Formed in 2001, the SCO includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
India became a full member in 2017 and held the rotating chairmanship in 2023.
For 2025, China has, however, taken over the SCO presidency under the theme: ‘Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move’.
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