Defense Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow on Wednesday night.
Moscow:
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in Russia for the crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), folded his hands and greeted top Russian officials with the traditional Indian “Namaste“when he landed in Moscow last night.
“I arrived in Moscow tonight. I look forward to my bilateral meeting with Russian General Sergey Shoygu tomorrow,” Singh tweeted, along with a video of him being greeted by Major General Bukhteev Yury Nikolaevich at Moscow airport.
The video shows Singh, accompanied by Indian Ambassador DB Venkatesh Varma, approaching Russian officials. Mr. Singh, who was wearing a mask, folded his hands “Namaste“while the senior officer of the Russian army saluted him and then reciprocated with a”Namaste“which has become a popular form of greeting among world leaders in the days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia!
I arrived in Moscow tonight. I look forward to my bilateral meeting with the Russian counterpart, General Sergey Shoygu, tomorrow. https://t.co/FgayfbJIIR– Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 2, 2020
As the Defense Minister was escorted by the Russian officer and introduced to other Russian officials, Mr. Singh greeted each of them with a “NamasteWhen one of the officers extended his hand, Mr. Singh seemed to insist on greeting him with a “Namaste“.
Singh will attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu to further boost bilateral defense cooperation.
The SCO comprises eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Defense ministers from the eight SCO member countries are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges such as terrorism and extremism and ways to collectively address them here on Friday, authorities said.
The meeting takes place under the shadow of a fierce confrontation between India and China in Ladakh.
Chinese Defense Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan ” Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the key meeting.
This is Rajnath Singh’s second visit to Moscow since June. He represented India in the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
(With PTI inputs)
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