SCO Summit: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Bishkek, discusses peace on LAC, West Asia crisis

Bishkek: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The crucial meeting discussed in detail regional security issues such as maintaining peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as well as the crisis in West Asia.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart.
Rajnath Singh expressed happiness over the meeting on social media. According to the Defense Ministry, both ministers shared their views on the global security scenario. Relations between India and China, which had become quite strained after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, are now being tried to improve. Both countries have withdrawn their troops from several disputed areas in eastern Ladakh after diplomatic and military talks.

An agreement was reached in October 2024 to disengage troops from the last two disputed points, Depsang and Demchok. Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan and decided to improve relations. In August last year, PM Modi also spoke with Xi Jinping in Tianjin, emphasizing mutual trust and respect.

Rajnath Singh also met with the Russian Defence Minister.
During this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also met with the Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov. Several defence projects, including the supply of the S-400 air defence missile system, were discussed between the two. India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia in 2018. Out of this, India has already received three missile systems. The fourth unit is expected to be delivered in the next few days and the fifth by November. Just last month, India approved the purchase of five more S-400 systems from Russia, taking their total number to 10.

In addition, Rajnath Singh also met with Belarus’s Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin. They discussed strengthening defence cooperation and partnerships in areas such as training. Rajnath Singh also held separate meetings with the Defence Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. During his talks with Kyrgyzstan’s Defence Minister, Major General Mukhambetov Ruslan Mustafayevich, ways to enhance bilateral defence cooperation were considered. Rajnath Singh arrived in Bishkek on Monday.