Key Points

"Our countries have the same positions on current issues of international security. Belarus and India are united in the issue of the need to follow the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve existing conflicts," Khrenin said during his meeting with Singh.

According to the Defence Ministry of Belarus, Khrenin noted that cooperation with India is one of the important areas of Belarus's foreign policy, and bilateral relations are developing on the principles of mutual benefit and respect.

"In turn, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence in deepening bilateral relations and emphasised that over the 33-year history of relations between Belarus and India, it has been possible not only to strengthen, but also to diversify the areas of cooperation," the statement added.

The two ministers also summed up the interim results of joint work for 2025, discussed issues of deepening cooperation, including in the field of military education, and agreed on a list of activities for the near future with an emphasis on the practical component.

The working meeting was held on the sidelines of the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.

"Enriching interaction with the Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin in Qingdao," Defence Minister Singh posted on X after the meeting.

It was under India's first-ever presidency of SCO in 2023 that Iran joined the SCO family as a new member and the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for Belarus' SCO membership took place.

Earlier, Singh also met with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov, discussing the longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence.

Talking to X, Singh said, "Happy to have met the Defence Minister of Russia, Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties".

India has longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation with Russia in the field of defence which is guided by the IRIGC-M&MTC mechanism, headed by the Defence Ministers of both countries.

Longstanding and time-tested partners, both countries have been involved in several bilateral projects, including the supply of S-400, licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30 MKI, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), production of Ak-203 rifles in India and BrahMos missiles.

New Delhi and Moscow have acknowledged that the military technical cooperation has evolved over time from a buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research and development, co-development and joint production of advanced defence technology and systems.

Addressing the gathering of defence ministers and security officials earlier, Singh called for united global action against terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism, citing them as the biggest threats to regional peace and trust.

Referring to the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians — including a Nepali national — Defence Minister Singh said India exercised its right to self-defence through Operation Sindoor to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure. He urged the SCO nations to reject double standards and hold terror sponsors accountable.

"Epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe," he declared, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance policy.

The visit comes just over a month after Operation Sindoor, under which India conducted targeted airstrikes on nine high-value terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

- IANS