Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
Key points
- The Defense Minister will depart Moscow for Delhi on the evening of September 5.
- India and China are two of the key members of the bloc of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
- Singh’s visit comes just days after India pulled out of a multilateral war drill in Russia, which China and Pakistan are expected to attend.
New Delhi: Amid a fierce standoff between India and China along the Royal Line of Control, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a four-day visit to Russia on Wednesday to attend the crucial meeting of the Organization of Shanghai Cooperation (OCS).
India and China are two of the key members of the bloc.
In addition to the defense ministers meeting at the SCO on September 4, Singh will also hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu and several other senior military officials to accelerate the implementation of defense procurement programs, officials with knowledge of the development said. .
The defense minister will leave Moscow for Delhi on the evening of September 5.
Chinese Defense Minister Gen Wei Fenghe is also expected to be present at the crucial meeting, although the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the two counterparts is highly unlikely, the officials said.
Singh’s visit comes just days after India pulled out of a multilateral war drill in Russia, which China and Pakistan are expected to attend.
This will be Singh’s second visit to Moscow since June, having represented India in the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in WWII. World.
The defense ministers meeting in Moscow comes amid renewed tensions between India and China following futile attempts by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to upset the status quo on the southern shore of Lake Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh.
India and China have been holding multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks to ease the border confrontation that began on May 5.
Russia has stated categorically that both neighbors must resolve the border dispute through talks through communication channels and that a “constructive relationship” between the two countries was essential for regional stability.
