Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) signed a protocol expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. The agreement came at the end of the defence ministers’ conference of SCO here on April 28.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence at the conference that many areas identified for cooperation will be acted upon in the times to come and India, as the SCO chair, will lead from the front in ensuring a safe and secure future for the region and the world as a whole.
Singh called upon the SCO member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities. The minister added that India envisioned a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states.
He asserted that New Delhi strived to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members it believed in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the UN. He also elaborated on the concept of ‘Secure’ floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018.
He stated that every alphabet of the word ‘Secure’ reflects India’s commitment towards the multidimensional welfare of the region. Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane stated that all the member nations arrived at the consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism and security of vulnerable populations in various countries.
He stated that all member states were unanimous in their statements that terrorism, in all its forms, must be condemned and eliminated.
Defence ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting.
