Defence Min. Rajnath Singh in Bishkek for SCO meeting

28 APRIL 2026

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, leading a high-level Indian delegation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
The meeting would bring together the Defence Ministers of SCO member states to deliberate on key regional and global security challenges, international peace, counter-terrorism efforts, and enhancing defence collaboration within the grouping.
The discussions are being held amid ongoing geopolitical tensions linked to the West Asia crisis, with member countries likely to explore measures to mitigate the impact of the conflict on regional stability.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, the SCO is one of the largest regional organisations focusing on political, economic, and security cooperation.
Headquarters: Beijing, China (Secretariat).
Members (10): China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India (2017), Pakistan (2017), Iran (2023), and Belarus (2024).
India became a full member of the SCO in 2017 and assumed the rotating chairmanship in 2023, further deepening its engagement with the grouping.