Will Rajnath Singh Advance the Anti-Terror Agenda at the SCO Meeting in China?

New Delhi, June 24 (NationPress) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is gearing up for a significant diplomatic initiative aimed at countering Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism. He will urge the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to enhance its commitment to combat terrorism during a two-day conference in Qingdao, China, starting Wednesday.

Singh's visit to the eastern Shandong province will take place during the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting from June 25-26, where discussions will focus on the evolving regional security landscape.

This trip follows Operation Sindoor, where India executed precise airstrikes on nine significant terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the tragic Pahalgam terror attack.

It is noteworthy that this is the first visit by an Indian Union Minister to China since the bilateral relationship faced serious challenges due to the military standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, which began in May 2020.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is also in China for discussions among SCO national security leaders.

According to official statements, Singh will reaffirm India's unwavering dedication to the core principles and goals of the SCO, while presenting New Delhi's vision for enhanced regional collaboration to tackle terrorism and extremism.

The Defence Minister plans to emphasize the necessity of joint, cohesive, and coordinated actions to address threats to peace and stability across the region.

Moreover, he will stress the need for increased trade, economic partnerships, and better connectivity within the SCO framework.

In addition to participating in the plenary session, Singh will engage in bilateral discussions with counterparts from various participating nations, including China and Russia.

According to the Ministry of Defence, "India places great importance on the SCO in fostering multilateralism, political, security, economic, and people-to-people interactions in the region. The SCO operates on principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of nations, mutual respect, understanding, and equality among all member states."

China is hosting this important meeting as the current chair of the SCO.

Relations between India and China have been strained since the intense clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, although recent diplomatic efforts have aimed to improve ties.

The military standoff was officially resolved following the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang in October of last year.

NSA Doval's visit to Beijing in December and his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the Special Representatives (SR) framework signified a crucial step towards revitalizing dialogue.

The decision to restart the SR mechanism emerged from a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23.