22nd SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting: Strengthening Regional Security.

On June 25–26, 2025, the 22nd Meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Qingdao, China, under China’s chairmanship themed “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”

Defence ministers at the 22nd SCO meeting in Qingdao

Key Highlights

SCO members—India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus—sent their defence heads along with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev and RATS Director Ularbek Sharsheev.

1. Regional and International Security Dialogue:
   The defence ministers exchanged views on evolving security challenges, including counter-terrorism cooperation, confidence-building measures in the military sphere, and responses to hybrid threats.
2. India’s Participation and Focus:
   Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation, highlighting:
   • India’s commitment to SCO principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference, mutual respect, and equality.
   • The need for “joint and consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism and extremism” in the region.
   • Expanding defence-sector cooperation, trade, economic connectivity, and people-to-people ties within SCO.
   • Bilateral talks on the sidelines with counterparts—most notably China and Russia—to address border de-escalation and emerging security concerns.
3. Strengthening SCO Defence Cooperation:
   • Agreement to modernize SCO activities, including joint military exercises, standardizing defence-medical collaboration, and sharing best practices in peacekeeping and disaster response.
   • Progress updates on preparations for the SCO Heads of State Council meeting in Tianjin later in 2025.
4. Counter-Terrorism Measures:
   The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) outlined upcoming joint drills and intelligence-sharing protocols to tackle cross-border terrorism and insurgency.
5. Next Steps:
   The 23rd SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting is scheduled for 2026 in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Significance

The Qingdao meeting reaffirmed the SCO’s role as a pivotal security platform in Eurasia, fostering multilateral defence dialogue and actionable cooperation. India’s active engagement underlined its strategic autonomy and commitment to collaborative regional stability while pursuing bilateral de-escalation initiatives with neighbouring powers.

Sources:
1 PIB Press Release PRID 2139116