Situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the whole region and terrorism and ways to curb its funding will figure prominently during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s three-day participation in the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation(SCO) conclave starting Wednesday in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The annual conference of the Defence Ministers of the SCO countries will also see the Chinese and Pakistan Ministers taking part. While Rajnath had met his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in the SCO conclave last year in a bilateral meeting in Moscow, it was not yet confirmed about such a meeting this year.
Rajnath and Fenghe had discussed ways to ease tension at the Line of Actual Control(LAC)in nearly two-hour long parleys on the side-lines of the SCO conclave in September last. Incidentally, it was the first high level meeting between leaders of India and China after stand-offs erupted on the LAC in eastern Ladakh ion May last year.
Giving details of Rajnath’s schedule in Dushanbe, the Defence Ministry said here on Tuesday, the Minister will address the SCO gathering on Wednesday.
Defence cooperation issues among the SCO member states will be discussed and a communique is expected to be issued after the deliberations.
During his visit, Rajnath is also expected to meet his Tajikistan counterpart Colonel General Sherali Mirzo to discuss bilateral issues and other issues of mutual interest.
Tajikistan is chairing the SCO this year and hosting series of Ministerial and official-level meetings. A few days back it hosted the foreign Ministers’ meet.
Addressing the SCO dialogue on Afghanistan there on July 14, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had proposed a three-point way forward to restore peace in the strife torn country. He also stressed that the solution has to be Afghan led.
Jaishankar also cautioned that the international community is against the “seizure of power by violence and force” and will not “legitimise such actions”. This was in an apparent reference to the Taliban surging in many districts in Afghanistan.
As regards Rajnath’s address on Wednesday, sources said he is expected to delve into regional security challenges, including terrorism, and the ways to deal with them.