India Warns SCO: No Immunity for Terror Hubs; Rajnath Singh Meets Chinese Counterpart
During his bilateral meetings with the Chinese defence minister, Singh reviewed the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
New Delhi:Defence minister Rajnath Singh at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday asserted that Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm resolve that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable punishment. On the sidelines of the meeting in Bishkek, Singh discussed security concerns with Chinese defence minister Admiral Dong Jun. He also held talks with Russian defence minister Andrei Belousov.
During his bilateral meetings with the Chinese defence minister, Singh reviewed the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Discussions focused on regional security and strengthening defence engagement," said the defence ministry in a tweet on the meeting with the Chinese minister.
At the meeting, it is learnt that Singh and Adm. Dong discussed the situation along the LAC, underlining the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, as well as regional security issues. The meeting came as New Delhi and Beijing move to repair their frosty relations.
It is learnt that Singh in his meeting with Russian defence minister Belousov discussed ongoing defence acquisition projects, including Russia's supply of S-400 air defence missiles to India. "Great interaction," Singh said after the meeting.
In his address at the SCO defence ministers’ meeting, Singh forcefully underlined 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 called on the influential grouping to not lose sight of "state-sponsored" cross-border terrorism and that there should not be any place for any "double standards" in combating the menace.
Singh emphasised that SCO should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who abet, shelter and provide safe havens to terrorists. “By tackling terrorism, separatism and extremism without exception, we transform regional security from a challenge into a cornerstone for peace and prosperity,” he said.
Describing counter-terrorism as a foundational principle of SCO, Singh said at the SCO defence ministers’ meeting that the organisation had condemned such acts and ideologies in a common fight against the menace. He recalled last year’s Tianjin Declaration, which brought out India’s firm and collective stance against terrorism, terming it a testimony to the country’s zero-tolerance outlook towards terrorism and its perpetrators.
“The real test of collective credibility remains in consistency. We must not forget that terrorism has no nationality and no theology. Nations must take a firm and collective stance against terrorism,” Singh added.
“Do we need a new world order or a world which is more orderly? We need an order where every citizen of this world is treated with dignity and respect. We need an order where differences do not become disputes and disputes don’t precede disasters. The real crisis today is not of a non-existent order but a tendency to question the established rule-based world order," said Singh, adding, "We must focus on a global consensus where co-existence, co-habitation and compassion take precedence over chaos, competition and conflict.”
The defence minister added that it is the responsibility of SCO to ensure regional as well as global peace and stability. “We should continue to follow the path of dialogue and diplomacy and not of unrelenting force. We should not allow it to become an era of violence and war but an era of peace and prosperity," he stated.