Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Bishkek on April 28, aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and addressing regional security concerns.
During his meeting with Kyrgyz Defence Minister Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich, Singh discussed ways to deepen existing defence ties and enhance collaboration. As a gesture of support, he gifted two indigenously developed “Bhishm Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes” to Kyrgyzstan to aid in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and search and rescue operations during natural calamities.
The Defence Minister also announced the completion of a project involving the provisioning of 12 sets of computer systems at IT centres of the Kyrgyz Military Institute in Bishkek and a military unit in Osh. The initiative includes the installation of wargaming software and on-the-job training for Kyrgyz armed forces personnel, further strengthening capacity-building efforts.
In his meeting with the Defence Minister of Kazakhstan, Singh highlighted that defence cooperation remains a key pillar of bilateral relations, spanning multiple sectors and offering significant scope for expansion.
While interacting with Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin, Singh emphasised India’s commitment to building a mutually beneficial partnership with Belarus, identifying training and capacity building as priority areas of cooperation.
On the sidelines of the SCO meeting, Singh also held brief interactions with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov. The discussions focused on the evolving regional and global security landscape, particularly in light of the ongoing situation in West Asia.
Earlier in the day, Singh, along with other SCO defence ministers, paid a courtesy call on Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and laid wreaths at Victory Square in Bishkek, honouring the memory of fallen soldiers.
