At the SCO Summit, India raised its concerns regarding cross-border terrorism, citing the Pahalgam attack and conflict with Pakistan.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday has reportedly refused to sign the joint statement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). As per reports, the defence minister refused to dot India’s name on the document due to its failure to address India’s concern regarding cross-border terrorism.

At the SCO Summit, India raised its concerns regarding cross-border terrorism, citing the Pahalgam attack and conflict with Pakistan.

However, as per PTI, Rajnath Singh refused to endorse the joint statement as it not did explicitly address India’s concerns. 

Citing sources close to the matter, PTI reported that India’s refusal comes due to no clear-cut approach to combat terrorism, including cross-border terror attacks.

With Singh’s refusal, the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting concluded with no joint statement from the participants. The meeting was held from June 25 to 26 in Qingdao, China. 

Defence leaders from member states such as India, China, Russia, and other Central Asian nations came together to discuss issues related to regional and international peace and security.

‘No double standards’ 

Speaking at the defence leaders meeting, Rajnath Singh called on SCO members to work together to reduce the risk of terrorism in the region.