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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (local time) said India supports the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Action Plan for 2026-2030 on multilateral trade and economic cooperation, calling for resilient supply chains, convenient trade and investment, and technology-driven development amid global economic uncertainties."India believes that our economic engagement should be inclusive as well as beneficial for the countries in every manner. We should make supply chains even more resilient, trade and investment more convenient, and use technology for development. We should also ensure that the benefits of economic cooperation reach every section of our society," he said.
Addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Singh highlighted the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, conflicts and disruptions to global supply chains, while underlining concerns over energy and food security. The Defence Minister further said, "India supports the Action Plan for 20262030 for the Implementation of the Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation." "Today, we are in an era of an uncertain global economic environment. Due to conflicts and geopolitical tensions, supply chains are getting disrupted. Energy and food security are matters of concern for us. New technology is transforming economies and creating new divides. So, SCO's assessment will be made on the basis of knowing whether it can find common ground and work on it," Singh added.The Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States is aimed at the comprehensive development of trade, economic, and investment interaction based on transparent, predictable, and stable conditions for the development of sectoral ties, increasing mutual trade volumes, and expanding investment cooperation in the interests of improving the well-being of the peoples of the Organization's countries. Emphasising India's approach to regional economic cooperation, the Defence Minister called for ensuring that the benefits of engagement among member countries reach all sections of society. Singh's remarks came as leaders and representatives of SCO member states gathered in the Tajik capital to discuss economic cooperation, connectivity, innovation, investment and other regional priorities. On the sidelines of the meeting, Singh also held separate meetings with Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda and Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. Sharing details of his meeting with Rosulzoda in a post on X, Singh said he had underlined the longstanding civilisational ties and deep people-to-people links between India and Tajikistan. In another post, the Defence Minister said he was pleased to meet Aref on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting. Earlier, Singh met his Tajik counterpart Emomali Sobirzoda and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in capacity building and training. According to the Ministry of Defence, India's participation in the SCO meeting reflects its continued engagement with the regional grouping and efforts to advance practical, mutually beneficial cooperation among member states. (ANI)
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