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Rajnath Singh urged SCO member states to work towards a secure, stable, and prosperous region
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to work together to combat terrorism in all of its manifestations and hold those responsible for it accountable.
Addressing the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on Friday (April 28, 2023), Singh said that any kind of support for terrorism or participation in it is a serious crime against humanity and that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this threat.
“If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger & more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism,” Defence Minister Singh said.
The SCO, established in 2001, is an intergovernmental organization comprising Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran also participated in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.
During his address, Defence Minister Singh stated that India envisioned a strong framework of regional cooperation that upheld the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each member state while also protecting their respective legitimate interests. He said that New Delhi works to strengthen mutual trust and collaboration among SCO members because it supports upholding peace and security in accordance with the UN Charter.
Furthermore, he shared his thoughts on the vision to ensure shared prosperity and urged the SCO member states to work together so that the region, which has limitless opportunities in today's multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of "great gain from win-win paradigm" from "great game of zero sum, win-lose paradigm."
“India has always followed the principle of ‘Let us walk together & move forward together’. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is ‘Win-win cooperation for the great gain’,” he said.
Defence Minister Singh also provided further details on the "SECURE" idea put out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2018 SCO conference in Qingdao, China. He said that each letter of the word "SECURE" represents India's dedication to the multifaceted wellbeing of the region:
S - Security of citizens
E - Economic development for all
C - Connecting the region
U - Uniting the people
R - Respect for Sovereignty and Integrity
E - Environmental protection)
He asked the SCO member nations to collaborate on a comprehensive plan to address food security, a shared approach to combating climate change, and a top priority for energy security.
Additionally, Singh discussed two defence-related initiatives that India had launched to improve member states' interoperability - a workshop on ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)’ and a seminar on ‘defence think-tanks of SCO countries’. Both the events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries.
He also reaffirmed India's commitment to serving as a first responder and preferred partner for any HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) operations in the region. “Be it the COVID-19 pandemic or the recent earthquake in Turkiye, India has always moved forward in line with its spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (Whole world is one family),” he said.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the SCO member nations signed a protocol to underline their shared commitment to ensuring the safety, stability, and prosperity of the area.
Addressing the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on Friday (April 28, 2023), Singh said that any kind of support for terrorism or participation in it is a serious crime against humanity and that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this threat.
“If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger & more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism,” Defence Minister Singh said.
The SCO, established in 2001, is an intergovernmental organization comprising Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran also participated in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.
During his address, Defence Minister Singh stated that India envisioned a strong framework of regional cooperation that upheld the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each member state while also protecting their respective legitimate interests. He said that New Delhi works to strengthen mutual trust and collaboration among SCO members because it supports upholding peace and security in accordance with the UN Charter.
Furthermore, he shared his thoughts on the vision to ensure shared prosperity and urged the SCO member states to work together so that the region, which has limitless opportunities in today's multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of "great gain from win-win paradigm" from "great game of zero sum, win-lose paradigm."
“India has always followed the principle of ‘Let us walk together & move forward together’. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is ‘Win-win cooperation for the great gain’,” he said.
Defence Minister Singh also provided further details on the "SECURE" idea put out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2018 SCO conference in Qingdao, China. He said that each letter of the word "SECURE" represents India's dedication to the multifaceted wellbeing of the region:
S - Security of citizens
E - Economic development for all
C - Connecting the region
U - Uniting the people
R - Respect for Sovereignty and Integrity
E - Environmental protection)
He asked the SCO member nations to collaborate on a comprehensive plan to address food security, a shared approach to combating climate change, and a top priority for energy security.
Additionally, Singh discussed two defence-related initiatives that India had launched to improve member states' interoperability - a workshop on ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)’ and a seminar on ‘defence think-tanks of SCO countries’. Both the events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries.
He also reaffirmed India's commitment to serving as a first responder and preferred partner for any HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) operations in the region. “Be it the COVID-19 pandemic or the recent earthquake in Turkiye, India has always moved forward in line with its spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (Whole world is one family),” he said.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the SCO member nations signed a protocol to underline their shared commitment to ensuring the safety, stability, and prosperity of the area.
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