SCO meet: Iranian Defence Minister Ashtiani arrives in Delhi, to hold bilateral meeting with Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Gharai Ashtiani arrived in Delhi on Thursday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers meeting to be held on Friday. The Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh today.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh are likely to meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
Earlier, Sergei Shoigu had visited India in December 2021 for the first India-Russia 2+2 ministerial dialogue.
In an official statement, the Defense Ministry said, the Defense Minister will discuss matters related to regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts and effective multilateralism within the SCO.
The theme of India’s SCO chairmanship in 2023 is ‘Secure-SCO’. India attaches special importance to the SCO in promoting multilateralism, political, security, economic and people-to-people contacts in the region.
Meanwhile, China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu also reached New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the meeting of the Defense Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Li Shangfu will also hold bilateral meetings with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.
This is the first visit by the Chinese Defense Minister after the border violation in Galvan.
India and China recently held the 18th round of India-China Corps Commander level meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side.
During the 18th round of Corps Commander level meeting, India and China agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the western sector of the LAC.
The meeting took place after a gap of five months. The last Corps Commander level meeting between the two sides was held in December last year.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan apart from India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also participate in the SCO Defense Ministers’ meeting.
The ongoing engagement with the SCO has helped India promote its relations with countries in the region with whom India shares civilizational ties, and is considered India’s extended neighbourhood.