The Ministry of External Affairs (Mea) said on Thursday, 26 June 2025 that India did not sign a joint statement in the meeting of the Defense Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Sangathan (SCO), as the issue of terrorism could not be agreed. Mea spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in the press briefing that in this meeting, which lasted two days (25-26 June), India demanded a strong stand against terrorism, but a particular country opposed the proposal, which could not agitate.
Jaiswal said that Defense Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the need to deal with all forms of terrorism in the meeting and appealed to the member countries for solidarity. However, it was not agreed to include India’s concerns, especially cross-border terrorism in the statement. The joint statement could not be finalized. The move is being seen as a zero tolerance policy against India’s terrorism.
The dispute deepened after the Pahalgam terrorist attack (death of 26 people) in April 2025, in response to which India ran Operation Sindoor. According to sources, some countries tried to weaken the issue of terrorism, which India strictly opposed. China was headed by the meeting, and differences with Pakistan were also a reason.
