Rajnath Singh at SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek calls for unified front against terrorism
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 28 April 2026, saying Operation Sindoor showed terrorism epicentres are no longer immune, and held bilaterals with Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Belarusian counterparts.
Summary
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 28 April 2026, saying Operation Sindoor demonstrated that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to punishment and urging SCO to act against those who shelter terrorists. Singh recalled last year's Tianjin Declaration and the role of SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. On the sidelines, Singh held bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus, gifted two BHISM Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes to Kyrgyzstan, and briefly interacted with China's Admiral Dong Jun and Russia's Andrei Belousov on the West Asia situation.
Key facts
- Meeting
- SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting, Bishkek, 28 April 2026
- India's message
- Operation Sindoor; no safe havens or double standards on terrorism
- Recalled
- Tianjin Declaration (last year); SCO RATS
- Bilaterals
- Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus
- Gift to Kyrgyzstan
- Two BHISM Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes
Practice MCQs 3 questions
In which city was the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting held on 28 April 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Bishkek
Rajnath Singh addressed the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
On the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in April 2026, what did Rajnath Singh gift to Kyrgyzstan?
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Correct answer: A — Two BHISM Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes
Rajnath Singh gifted two indigenously developed BHISM Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes for HADR and search-and-rescue operations.
Consider the following statements about Rajnath Singh's visit to Bishkek in April 2026: 1. He held bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus. 2. He recalled the Tianjin Declaration of the SCO in his address. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct as per the Ministry of Defence releases of 28 April 2026.