Raksha Mantri to lead Indian delegation at SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

📌 Summary:

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will lead India's high-level delegation to the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on April 28, 2026.

• Key agenda items: defence & security issues of the region, international peace, counter-terrorism, and defence cooperation among SCO member states.

• The meeting takes place amid geopolitical turmoil due to the ongoing West Asia conflict; the SCO may discuss measures to reduce the conflict's impact.

• India will highlight its commitment to global peace and reiterate its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and extremism.

• Rajnath Singh is expected to hold bilateral talks with counterparts of several member countries on the sidelines.

• SCO background: Established June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China; current members — India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus.

• India became a full SCO member in 2017 and assumed the rotating chairmanship in 2023.

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — International Relations (Regional groupings, SCO, India's multilateral diplomacy); GS3 — Internal Security (counter-terrorism cooperation).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• SCO established: June 15, 2001, Shanghai, China

• India full member since: 2017

• India's SCO chairmanship: 2023

• SCO members: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus

• 2026 SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting host: Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek)

🔑 Key Term: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — One of the world's largest regional political, economic, and security organisations, serving as a platform for multilateral defence cooperation, counter-terrorism, and regional stability across Eurasia.