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Rajnath Singh urged SCO members in Dushanbe to collectively dismantle the terrorism ecosystem. His address also linked regional security with resilient trade and investment cooperation.
Dushanbe,Oct 20, 2026 13:14 IST
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called for firm and collective action to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, saying there could be no place for those who finance, support or shelter terrorists, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Addressing a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Singh said terrorism had become one of the most serious threats to peace and development as it harmed innocent lives and disrupted investment and commerce.
“Terrorism radicalises societies and deprives our youth of the opportunities they deserve,” Singh said. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was present at the meeting when the defence minister made the remarks.
Singh, who is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan to represent India at the meeting, said there could be “no justification for terrorism” and “no double standards in dealing with it”.
“There can be no place for those who provide terrorists with finance, support, or safe havens. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled,” Singh said, according to PTI.
On October 15 in New Delhi, Singh had said that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan would draw an even “stronger response”. He had also said that since 2014, the “shelf life” of most terrorists had fallen to less than a year, with security forces neutralising them within a year of their taking up arms against India.
At the SCO meeting, Singh also reiterated India's support for adopting the action plan for 2026-2030 under the Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation.
“India believes that our economic engagement, along with being inclusive, should be beneficial for each member country. We should work towards building more resilient supply chains, facilitating trade and investment, and using technology for development,” Singh said.
The programme aims to expand trade, economic and investment cooperation among SCO member states through transparent, predictable and stable conditions. It also seeks to increase trade and investment to improve the well-being of people in member countries.
Experts from SCO member states met on February 25, 2026, to discuss the draft action plan for 2026-2030 for implementing the programme.
Singh also said India had welcomed the decisions taken in Bishkek to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent SCO bodies.
Singh's address focused on collective action against terrorism and closer economic cooperation among SCO members, including stronger supply chains, increased trade and investment, and the use of technology for development.
With PTI Inputs
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