New Delhi, June 26, ANB, India has refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China. India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document and there was no mention of cross-border terrorist activities.
It is believed that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s refusal to endorse the document resulted in the conclave ending without a joint communique. As per the SCO Charter, the grouping takes decisions by agreement without a vote, and they are considered to be adopted if no member state raises objections. According to news service, Associated News Bureau, ANB, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for united global action against terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism, citing them as the biggest threats to regional peace and trust. Addressing the Ministers’ meeting today, Mr Singh said, peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism. Referring to the heinous Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, Mr Singh said India exercised its right to self-defence through Operation Sindoor to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure. He said, India has shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and the country will not hesitate to target them. The Defence Minister urged SCO nations to reject double standards and hold terror sponsors accountable. Mr Singh said that some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. He stressed that there should be no place for such double standards and SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. He emphasized that those who sponsor, nurture and utilize terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. ANB
