India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan next week to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting scheduled for 28 April. The meeting will bring together defence leaders from member states to discuss emerging security challenges, including terrorism, extremism, and broader geopolitical tensions. Established in 2001 by China, Russia, and Central Asian nations, the SCO has grown significantly over the years. Its influence expanded further with the inclusion of Iran in 2023 during India’s presidency, strengthening its role as a major platform for regional security and economic cooperation.

Discussions at the meeting are expected to cover defence collaboration, counter-terrorism efforts, joint military exercises, and intelligence sharing. For India, the event provides an opportunity to deepen defence engagement in Central Asia, where it has been steadily enhancing its presence through partnerships and infrastructure initiatives.

India and Kyrgyzstan maintain strong defence relations, including joint training and officer exchange programmes. Recent interactions, such as the bilateral Joint Working Group on defence cooperation, have focused on technical collaboration and industrial ties, reflecting the growing depth of their partnership. At previous SCO meetings, Rajnath Singh has strongly advocated for firm action against radicalisation and cross-border terrorism, a stance likely to be reiterated during this visit.

Although details of his bilateral meetings have not been disclosed, Chinese media has confirmed the participation of Dong Jun along with other counterparts. Kyrgyzstan, the current chair of the SCO, will also host foreign ministers’ and NSA-level meetings, followed by the SCO Summit in Bishkek later this year, underscoring its key role within the organisation.