India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in document: MEA on no adoption of Joint Statement at SCO meet

New Delhi, June 36 (IANS) Hours after the Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) failed to adopt a joint statement following their meeting in China's Qingdao on Thursday, India said that it wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the meeting where he called for united global action against terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism, citing them as the biggest threats to regional peace and trust.

"I understand that they (Defence Ministers) could not adopt a joint statement. I also understand that certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised. On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a weekly media briefing.

Addressing the gathering, Defence Minister Singh referred to the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians — including a Nepali national — saying that India exercised its right to self-defence through Operation Sindoor to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure.

He also urged the SCO nations to reject double standards and hold terror sponsors accountable.

"Raksha Mantri in his articulation and in his address called upon the SCO member countries to come together, unite to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, to be held accountable and bring them to justice. He also urged all SCO members, saying that we must all be in lockstep in our endeavour in strengthening stability and security in our neighbourhood," said Jaiswal.

Singh's visit to China comes just over a month after Operation Sindoor, under which India conducted targeted airstrikes on nine high-value terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

"Epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe," he declared at the SCO meeting, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance policy.

The two-day SCO meeting hosted by China that ended on Thursday saw participation of Defence Ministers from member countries of the grouping, including Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

--IANS

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