Rajnath Singh will travel to China for SCO meeting of Defence ministers
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New Delhi: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh , who is travelling to Qingdao for the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting , will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts to discuss wide ranging issues, including the ongoing tensions in West Asia.The minister is leading a high-level Indian delegation for the meeting and will present the country's vision for global peace and security, economic cooperation and connectivity, and call for joint efforts to eliminate terrorism. Officials said that Rajnath Singh will also stress on the need for greater trade in the region and joint efforts to counter extremism. The visit comes at a time when India has conducted anti-terror strikes against Pakistan - an SCO member.Another SCO member, Iran has come under attack from Israel and the US for its nuclear programme. India had earlier disassociated itself from an SCO statement that protested against the strikes on Iran and called for restoration of peace and tranquility. "India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multi-lateralism, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region," an official statement prior to the defence minister's departure said.Army has signed contracts worth ₹2,000 crore to boost its operational readiness for counterterrorism operations, officials said on Tuesday. A total of 13 contracts have been signed that aim to enhance situational awareness, lethality, mobility, and protection for troops deployed in counter terror environments. Key acquisitions include integrated drone detection and interdiction systems, low-level lightweight radars, very short-range air defence systems and loitering munitions, including vertical take-off and landing systems as reported.
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