Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh represented India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 20 October 2026.
Addressing the meeting, Raksha Mantri emphasised the importance of strengthening practical cooperation among SCO Member States in areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, connectivity, innovation and people-to-people exchanges.
Raksha Mantri reiterated India’s firm commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestation and underscored the need for collective efforts to address challenges to regional peace and stability. He emphasised that regional cooperation must be guided by the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, territorial integrity and mutual benefit.
The meeting reviewed progress in multilateral economic and trade cooperation among SCO Member States and discussed connectivity measures to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as transport, finance, digital economy and social development.
The Heads of Delegation adopted the Joint Communiqué of the 25th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, including the SCO budget for 2027, relevant financial and administrative decisions, and the PMTEC Action Plan for 2026–2030.
The SCO CHG is an important mechanism of the Organisation responsible for promoting economic and other areas of practical cooperation among Member States. India has been a full member of the SCO since 2017 and continues to participate actively in its various mechanisms.