Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to unitedly fight against terrorism and eliminate the menace in all its forms. Addressing the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he asserted that terrorism in any form, including cross-border terrorism, committed by anyone and for whatever purpose, is a "crime against humanity".
"Terrorism is one of the most serious challenges to global peace and security. India reiterates its resolve to fight all forms of terrorism and make the region peaceful, secure and stable. We seek to develop joint institutional capabilities with the SCO member states, which, while respecting the sensitivities of each country, create the spirit of cooperation among individuals, societies and nations," the Ministry of Defence quoted Singh as saying in a statement.
He also proposed to host a workshop in India in 2023 on the theme "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief - Risk mitigation and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure" for the Defence Ministries of SCO Member States.
Rajnath also suggested an annual seminar on 'Topic of Interest' among the defence think tanks of SCO countries.
"We propose to organise the first such defence think tank seminar in India in 2023," he stated.