Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Tajikistan PM Qohir Rosulzoda and Iran's First VP Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, underlining longstanding ties between the nations.
Rajnath Singh Holds Bilateral Meetings on SCO Sidelines
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda and Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe.
Sharing details of his meeting with Rosulzoda, Rajnath Singh said he underlined the longstanding civilisational ties and deep people-to-people links between India and Tajikistan. In a post on X, the Defence Minister said, "Delighted to meet H.E. Mr Qohir Rosulzoda, Prime Minister of Tajikistan at the commencement of SCO Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe. Underlined the longstanding civilisational ties and deep people to people links between India and Tajikistan."
Delighted to meet H.E. Mr Qohir Rosulzoda, Prime Minister of Tajikistan at the commencement of SCO Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe. Underlined the longstanding civilisational ties and deep people to people links between India and Tajikistan. https://t.co/gDDkJbhtXt — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 20, 2026
In another post on X, Rajnath Singh shared details of his meeting with Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, saying, "Pleasure to meet H.E. Mr Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President of Iran on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe."
Pleasure to meet H.E. Mr Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President of Iran on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe. https://t.co/HWZn3k5qcl — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 20, 2026
Rajnath Singh is representing India at the SCO Heads of Government meeting in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, where leaders and representatives of member countries have gathered for discussions under the regional grouping. Earlier, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon welcomed Rajnath Singh and representatives from other SCO member countries at the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe.
Talks with Tajik Counterpart on Defence Cooperation
Rajnath Singh is representing India at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting being held in Dushanbe. Earlier on Monday, upon arriving in Tajikistan's capital to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Sobirzoda. Tajikistan’s Defence Minister welcomed Rajnath Singh upon his arrival. Sherali Jonon, Head of the Asia-Pacific Division at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, both sides expressed gratitude to each other and discussed strengthening their partnership in the future. Sobirzoda said, “We are happy and proud that India’s Defence Minister has visited our country this time. The SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting has allowed us to welcome you, and this is very important to us.” He referred to the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting during his talks with Singh when the two leaders met.
Singh expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome. He said, “Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. India and Tajikistan share very good relations. “I would like to see our ties with Tajikistan grow stronger, especially in the field of defence. I visited here in 2021, and today, all those memories have come flooding back.”
Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Singh said, “Had a productive discussion with the Defence Minister of Tajikistan in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government Meeting. We exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest with emphasis on capacity building and training.”
SCO Meeting Focuses on Regional Collaboration
According to the Ministry of Defence, the gathering will focus on strengthening collaboration in culture, connectivity, economy, innovation, investment and people-to-people ties, alongside reviewing progress in the bloc's financial and institutional functioning. Highlighting New Delhi's active engagement across various mechanisms, the ministry noted India's ongoing contributions through initiatives in start-ups, digital public infrastructure and cultural exchanges, offering an avenue to advance practical, mutually beneficial cooperation among member states.(ANI)
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