EAM meets SCO Secretary General Yermekbayev, discusses regional issues
New Delhi, May 22
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev and discussed the organisation's initiatives, activities, and key regional and global developments.
Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Pleasure to meet Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev this evening. Discussed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's initiatives and activities as well as global and regional issues."
The meeting comes amid continued engagement between India and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on matters related to regional connectivity, security cooperation, and multilateral coordination.
Last month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Belarusian counterparts on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
During the meeting with the Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich, both sides discussed ways to strengthen the existing bilateral defence cooperation, the Defence Ministry said in an official statement.
According to the ministry, the Defence Minister gifted the two Bhishm Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes to the Kyrgyz side, which have been indigenously developed in India to ensure Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, and Search & Rescue during natural calamities.
Rajnath Singh also announced the completion of the project of provisioning of 12 sets of Computer Systems each at IT Centres of the Kyrgyz Military Institute, Bishkek and Military Unit 36806, Osh, followed by the successful installation of Wargaming Software and On-the-Job Training of the Personnel of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces.
In his meeting with the Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan, the Defence Minister emphasised that defence cooperation between the two countries encompasses diverse sectors and it forms an important pillar of bilateral partnership, the ministry said.
During the meeting with the Defence Minister of Belarus, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin, Rajnath Singh underlined that India attaches high priority to developing a mutually beneficial partnership with Belarus and identified capacity building & training as among the major areas of cooperation, the ministry noted.
In addition, the Defence Minister briefly interacted with the Defence Minister of China, Admiral Dong Jun and the Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, according to the ministry.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting that Defence Minister Singh had brief interactions with Chinese and Russian counterparts too. With the border tensions still simmering, these meetings are crucial for maintaining dialogue. Hope it leads to more concrete outcomes on connectivity projects.
The wargaming software installation in Kyrgyz military institutes is a smart move. India is quietly building soft power in Central Asia through defence cooperation. These relationships will pay off in the long run. 👏
As someone who follows Central Asian geopolitics, India's multi-faceted approach in SCO is commendable. But I do wonder - with so many competing interests (China, Russia, Pakistan), how effective can India be? The defence meetings are good, but the real test is implementation of connectivity projects.
Honestly, SCO seems like a talking shop at times. Meetings after meetings, but where are the results? The Chabahar port deal with Iran is still stuck, connectivity to Central Asia via Pakistan is blocked. Need more action, less photo ops. 🤔
The Health Cubes are a great example of India's 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' philosophy in action. Disaster relief is something where India can really shine in the region. And the IT centre project in Kyrgyzstan shows we're investing in youth and education too. 🇮🇳
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