One Country Objected Concerns on Terrorism To Be Reflected In Shanghai Summit Statement: MEA

New Delhi: India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to endorse a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China, after the final draft failed to reflect India's core concerns on cross-border terrorism. 

According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, India insisted that the document include a clear reference to terrorism especially cross-border terrorism but one country objected, resulting in a deadlock. 

“India wanted concerns on terrorism to be reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country,” said Jaiswal.

"...The Defence Minister participated in the defence ministers' meeting of the SCO. This meeting happened over two days and has concluded. They could not adopt a joint statement. Certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence, the document could not be finalised. India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country... The Defence Minister, in his address, called upon these 11 countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold that the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, need to be held accountable and brought to justice…” he said. 

The Defence Minister used the summit platform to highlight India’s growing concern over cross-border terror incidents, making specific references to the Pahalgam attack of April 22, which claimed 26 lives. 

Singh stated that terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot The Resistance Front, backed by Pakistan, were behind the deadly assault.

“The pattern of the Pahalgam attack matches LeT’s previous operations in India,” he said. He reiterated that India has a policy of*zero tolerance towards terrorism and retains the right to defend itself. 

“We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe, and we will not hesitate to target them,” Singh added.

In response to the April 22 attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, a precise military strike aimed at terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

Singh made it clear that India expects unequivocal cooperation from all SCO members in combating terrorism. 

“There can be no double standards. The biggest challenges we face today are related to peace, security and trust-deficit, and the root causes are radicalisation, extremism, and terrorism,” he stated.

The Defence Minister called on all SCO member states to work in “lockstep” to promote stability and regional security.