Overview
- The SCO defence ministers’ conclave will convene from June 25 to 27 in Qingdao, China, with India’s defence minister in attendance.
- Rajnath Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun and Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the meeting.
- Member states are expected to focus on bolstering regional security and counter-terror efforts through the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terror Structure mechanism.
- The visit builds on the normalization framework agreed by Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping in October 2024 following the 2020 Galwan Valley stand-off.
- Indian pilgrims embarking on the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra are set to reach their destination simultaneously, marking the first group since the military stand-off.