Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Tuesday, August 24, 2022, news agency ANI reported.
“Rajnath Singh is visiting Tashkent, Uzbekistan from August 23 to 25 to attend the Annual Meeting of the Defence Ministers’ of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States,” a government press release was quoted by ANI in its report.
Defence Cooperation problems among SCO Member States will be considered during the Annual Meeting, and a common communique is scheduled to be published following the deliberations. The meeting’s speech by Rajnath Singh is scheduled on August 24, 2022.
The Raksha Mantri will meet his Uzbek counterpart, Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan, during his visit to Tashkent.
On the fringes of this summit, discussions with Defence Ministers from the other SCO member nations are also planned, where bilateral concerns and subjects of mutual interest will be discussed.
During his visit to Tashkent, Rajnath Singh will pay tribute at the monument of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and meet with members of the Indian Diaspora in Uzbekistan, according to the statement.
Earlier, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) interior ministers conference in Uzbekistan, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, urged for tough action against terrorism and drug trafficking.
The minister also detailed India’s vigorous Covid reaction throughout the world.
“At SCO interior ministers meet in Tashkent, MoS Nityanand Rai called for stringent action against terrorism & drug trafficking and cooperation in cyber security. Presented India’s robust covid response globally,” India Embassy in Tashkent tweeted.
In Tashkent, MoS Rai met with Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda to discuss bilateral security cooperation, training, and capacity building. Regional conditions and concerns of mutual relevance were also highlighted.
Rai also met with Uzbek Interior Minister Pulat Bobojonov in Tashkent, where the two leaders discussed improving security cooperation, especially addressing regional terrorism and drug trafficking concerns.
James Stephen, Deputy Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO), also met with MoS Rai in Tashkent.
“Preparations for upcoming Interpol General Assembly in Oct in India were discussed. Expansion of India’s cooperation with Interpol to include new and emerging areas was emphasised,” the Embassy said.
Uzbekistan, the organization’s current chair, will hold the annual summit in Samarkand on September 15-16. Earlier, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member nations met in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital.
(With Inputs From ANI)