Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held back-to-back meetings with his counterparts from Russia, China, and Belarus on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, 28 April. The bilateral engagements centred on regional security, bilateral defence cooperation, and India's firm stance against terrorism — underscored by a pointed reference to Operation Sindoor.

Key Bilateral Meetings

Singh met Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov to discuss key aspects of bilateral defence cooperation. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the meeting was a "productive interaction," though specific outcomes were not disclosed publicly.

In his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun, discussions focused on regional security and strengthening defence engagement between the two nations — a notable development given the ongoing efforts to stabilise India-China relations following the 2020 Galwan Valley standoff.

Singh also met Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin, posting on X that talks "focussed on strengthening defence cooperation between both the countries."

India's Counter-Terrorism Message at the SCO

Addressing the full SCO Defence Ministers' gathering, Singh delivered a sharp counter-terrorism message, invoking Operation Sindoor as evidence of India's resolve. "Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's firm resolve that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable punishment," he told the assembly.

Singh called for a collective and uncompromising approach to tackle terrorism, separatism, and extremism — specifically demanding the dismantling of safe havens and rejecting any political justification for such acts. He warned the global community against state-sponsored cross-border terrorism that undermines national sovereignty, asserting there is "no room for selective approaches or double standards."

On the Global Order and SCO's Role

Singh also addressed the broader geopolitical context, arguing that the SCO has a crucial role in times of increasing uncertainty and fragmentation. "Do we need a new world order or a world which is more orderly?" he asked, calling for an order where "co-existence, co-habitation and compassion take precedence over chaos, competition and conflict."

He referenced the Tianjin Declaration of the previous year as a reflection of India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, and highlighted the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) as a key institutional mechanism. He also cited the joint statement issued during India's SCO Chairmanship on countering radicalisation as a shared commitment among member nations.

Why This Matters

The Bishkek engagements are significant on multiple fronts. Singh's meeting with Admiral Dong Jun marks one of the more substantive India-China defence-level interactions in recent years, taking place amid cautious diplomatic thawing. The Russia meeting comes as India continues to navigate its defence partnership with Moscow despite Western pressure over the Ukraine conflict. Singh's invocation of Operation Sindoor at a multilateral platform signals India's intent to frame its recent military actions within an internationally recognised counter-terrorism framework.

With regional tensions simmering and the SCO's relevance increasingly debated, India's active diplomatic posture at Bishkek suggests New Delhi is leveraging multilateral forums to build consensus around its security priorities ahead of what could be a defining period for South Asian geopolitics.