India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, next week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting.

Scheduled for 28 April, the gathering will bring together defence ministers from across the grouping to deliberate on evolving threats such as terrorism, extremism, and wider geopolitical tensions.

The SCO, established in 2001 by China, Russia, and Central Asian nations, has steadily expanded its influence over the past two decades. Its significance grew further with the inclusion of Iran in 2023 under India’s presidency, cementing its role as a key platform for both security and economic cooperation across Eurasia.

The meeting is expected to cover a broad spectrum of issues, including military-to-military ties, counter-terrorism strategies, joint exercises, and intelligence sharing.

For India, the event represents an important opportunity to strengthen defence diplomacy in Central Asia, a region where New Delhi has been steadily expanding its footprint through bilateral partnerships and infrastructure projects.

India and Kyrgyzstan share longstanding defence ties, which include joint training programmes and officer exchanges.

Recent engagements, such as the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Working Group on defence cooperation, have emphasised technical exchanges and industrial partnerships, underscoring the depth of collaboration between the two nations.

In past SCO forums, Rajnath Singh has consistently called for decisive action against radicalisation and cross-border terrorism. These positions are expected to feature prominently once again, reflecting India’s firm stance on regional security challenges.

While no details have yet been released regarding the Defence Minister’s bilateral schedule during the visit, the presence of China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun, alongside counterparts from other member states, has been confirmed by Chinese media. Kyrgyzstan, which holds the presidency of the grouping this year, will also host foreign ministers’ and NSA-level meetings.

Later in the year, Bishkek will convene the SCO Summit, further highlighting its central role in the organisation’s activities.

Agencies