Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds talks with Tajik counterpart on sidelines of SCO HoG meeting 

By Niranjan Mishra
Dushanbe (Tajikistan), October 19 (ANI): Upon arriving in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, 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 between the defence ministers of the two countries, both sides expressed gratitude to each other and discussed strengthening their partnership in the future.
Tajikistan’s Defence Minister Emomali 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.”
Emomali Sobirzoda referred to the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting during his talks with Rajnath Singh when the two leaders met.
Defence Minister Rajnath 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, Rajnath Singh wrote, “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.” 
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)