Rajnath Singh departs for Tajikistan to attend SCO Council of Heads of Govt meet

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday departed for Tajikistan's Dushanbe to represent India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The two-day high-level meeting will kick off on Monday.

Taking to X, Rajnath Singh said, "Leaving New Delhi for Dushanbe. Looking forward to representing India at the SCO Heads of Government (HoG) meeting in Tajikistan on 19-20 October 2026."

"The SCO HoGs meeting will focus on strengthening cooperation in culture, connectivity, economy, innovation, investment and people to people ties, besides reviewing progress in financial and institutional functioning," he added.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the meeting is also expected to review the progress of ongoing cooperation initiatives and consider decisions relating to the Organisation's financial and institutional functioning, according to the Ministry of Defence statement.

"India remains actively engaged in various SCO mechanisms and continues to contribute to regional cooperation through initiatives in areas such as start-ups and innovation, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting will provide an opportunity for India to exchange views with other SCO Member States on advancing practical and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation," the Ministry mentioned in a statement.

The previous CHG meeting was held in Russia's Moscow on November 18 last year, where External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar represented India.

The SCO comprises 10 member states -- India, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has two observer states -- Afghanistan and Mongolia; and 15 dialogue partners -- Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka.

In September, India highlighted the three pillars of 'Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity' for international trade at the 25th meeting of Ministers of the SCO Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities held in Tajikistan's Dushanbe, according to an official statement.

The meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation among SCO member states in the areas of economic and trade activities and exchanged views on measures to further deepen trade and economic cooperation within the SCO framework.

In his intervention on behalf of India, Additional Secretary, Commerce, Yashvir Singh underscored the significant economic potential of the SCO and the importance of translating this potential into tangible outcomes through increased intra-SCO trade, lower trade costs, resilient supply chains, and enhanced connectivity.

Referring to the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, India highlighted the three pillars of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, underscoring their economic significance, particularly in strengthening supply-chain resilience, developing efficient and trusted connectivity, and expanding opportunities for businesses through greater market access.

India also emphasised the important role of trade facilitation and digitalisation in reducing the cost and time associated with trade. In this context, it stressed the need for simplified customs procedures, paperless trade and electronic exchange of documents, alongside stronger multimodal connectivity and reduced transit times.

It also called for greater cooperation among SCO Member States to diversify and strengthen supply chains in strategic and emerging sectors, including agriculture, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and electronics. The potential for enhanced cooperation in energy security, renewable energy, and green hydrogen was also emphasised.

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