Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that one SCO member country did not want India’s concerns on terrorism reflected in the joint communique.
The defence ministers’ meeting that concluded at Qingdao, China, could not adopt a joint statement. The Ministry said that certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence the document could not be finalised.
“India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted,” the statement added.
While omitting the Pahalgam attack, the draft declaration reportedly made a reference to Balochistan. According to the Indian delegation, this was done at Pakistan’s behest, with China, a close ally of Islamabad, currently chairing the SCO.
India Calls Out Balochistan Allegation at SCO
India has repeatedly dismissed Pakistan’s accusations regarding its alleged involvement in Balochistan. India has instead urged Pakistan to address the issue of terrorism within its own borders and not blame India.
“India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document. There was no mention of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, there was mention of the incidents that happened in Pakistan, so India refused to sign the joint declaration, and there is no joint communique either,” NDTV QUOTED Defence Ministry sources.
My statement at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao (China) pic.twitter.com/dV3Bc0wtOk
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 26, 2025
What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an intergovernmental body established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai, China. SCO aims to maintain stability in Eurasia and address the shared security concerns. The intergovernmental body also aims to foster trade and promote cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
The SCO comprises ten full member states. These include China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017. The organisation also includes four observer states, which include Afghanistan, Belarus (now a full member), Iran, and Mongolia. The SCO has multiple “Dialogue Partners” such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. Gulf nations including the UAE and Bahrain have also expressed interest in joining as Dialogue Partners.
What is The Role of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?
SCO was originally formed to focus on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism. It then expanded its role to include intelligence sharing and legal cooperation. In 2004, the SCO established the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Through RATS, member states have thwarted around 600 terror plots and extradited over 500 terrorists, as per 2017 data.
SCO member states have conducted joint military exercises and drills in the past, although it is not a military alliance. The bloc promotes economic and cultural ties to foster holistic regional development. Conferences and summits, like the recent one in Qingdao, often feature cultural cooperation alongside policy discussions.
The SCO also maintains strategic partnerships with international organisations holding observer status at the United Nations General Assembly since 2005. It also signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation with the UN Secretariat in 2010. Over the years, the SCO has worked with multiple UN bodies to tackle a range of global issues.
Also Read: Rajnath Singh In China: SCO Defence Ministers Meet In Qingdao
