Dushanbe, Oct 19 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday had a “productive discussion” with his Tajikistan counterpart, on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government meeting, and the two exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation.
The minister, who is in Tajikistan on a two-day official visit to represent India at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), was accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival at the Dushanbe airport.
He was greeted by Tajikistan’s Defence Minister Emomali Sobirzoda and Sherali Jonon of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Had a productive discussion with Defence Minister of Tajikistan in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government Meeting,” Rajnath said in a post on X.
“We exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest with emphasis on capacity building and training,” he said.
The CHG meeting will focus on strengthening multilateral cooperation among SCO Member States, particularly in the areas of trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural-humanitarian exchanges, according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The meeting is also expected to review the progress of ongoing cooperation initiatives and consider decisions relating to the organisation’s financial and institutional functioning,” it said.
India remains actively engaged in various SCO mechanisms and continues to contribute to regional cooperation through initiatives in areas such as startups and innovation, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges, the press release said.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for India to exchange views with other SCO Member States on advancing practical and mutually beneficial cooperation within the organisation.
The previous CHG meeting was held in Moscow, Russia, in November 2025, where India was represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
(PTI News)
