India Hosts SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting

On, April 28, 2023, India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi.

The key points of deliberations were as follows:

Terrorism: India urged member states to collectively root out terrorism and hold its supporters accountable.
India emphasized that any kind of terrorist act or support to it is a major crime against humanity and that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.
Regional and International Security: The participants discussed issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO, and expressed their "collective will to make the region secure, peaceful, and prosperous".
China's Statement on Bilateral Talks: China, in a statement on bilateral talks between Chinese Defence Minister and Indian Defence Minister, said that the two countries share far "more common interests than differences" and urged both sides to take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management.
Peace and Security: India emphasized that it believes in maintaining peace and security based on UN Charter provisions, and is committed towards defence capacity building of SCO member states for shared security interests.