India supports talks between Russia and Ukraine: Rajnath at SCO meet

By Our Special Correspondent

India on Wednesday expressed concern over the situation in Ukraine and supported talks between Russia and Ukraine to resolve the crisis. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “India is concerned about the humanitarian crisis in and around Ukraine.

We have extended our support to the efforts of the UN Secretary-General, UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide humanitarian assistance.

February 24 marks six months since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began. Rajnath was addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers meeting in Uzbekistan.

He said that the SCO member states should fight terrorism together and not allow Afghanistan to be used as a launching pad by terrorists.

Terming terrorism as a "crime against humanity", Rajnath Singh said it is "one of the most serious challenges to global peace and security". India reiterates its determination to fight all forms of terrorism and make the region peaceful, secure and stable.

"We want to develop joint institutional capacities with SCO member states that will respect the sensitivities of each country and create a spirit of cooperation among individuals, societies and nations," he said.

In this context, the Defense Minister has proposed to hold a workshop in India on 'Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief - Risk Mitigation and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure' in 2023 for Defense Ministries of SCO Member States. He also suggested an annual seminar on 'topic of interest' among defense think tanks of SCO countries.

"We propose to hold the first defense think-tank seminar in India in 2023," he said.

India took over the chairmanship of the organization from Uzbekistan. Extending full support to a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, Rajnath Singh emphasized its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, national unity and non-interference in its internal affairs.

He stressed the need to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and protect their fundamental rights.

"Afghan territory should not be used to intimidate or attack any country by providing safe havens and training for terrorists and supporting their activities through financial aid." Defense Minister added.