Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Kyrgyzstan's capital city of Bishkek on sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting. During the meeting, the two leaders held discussions regional security, stability, and strengthening military communication channels between India and China.
The meeting between the two leaders comes as Indian and China aim to improve the relations between them that had dipped to a new low following the deadly clashes between their militaries along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
The meeting has taken place on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Bishkek. Rajnath, who has been serving as India's defence minister since 2019, arrived in Bishkek on Monday, where he was welcomed by the local officials and authorities.
Before his departure, the defence minister had said that he will interact bilaterally with his counterparts of other SCO member states, and also with the Indian community in the Kyrgyzstan capital.
"Shall highlight India’s commitment towards global peace, amidst the security challenges prevailing in the world, apart from conveying India’s consistent stance on Zero Tolerance for Terrorism and Extremism," Rajnath had posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Defence Ministers' meeting of the SCO, which is an intern-governmental organisation established in 2001, is taking place this year at a time amid the global turmoil because of the ongoing conflict between the United States (US) and Israel, and Iran. Therefore, the leaders are likely to discuss ways in resolving the conflict and ensure that the region is least affected.
India, on its part, has always maintained that all issues must be resolved amicably via dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also held telephonic conversations with all global leaders, pushing for an immediate end to the conflict in the Middle East.
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