External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday supported Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s refusal to sign the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) joint statement. Explaining the rationale behind the move, Jaishankar said one country part of the SCO wanted no mention to terrorism in the joint statement, even when the organisation was formed with the purpose to fight terrorism.
“Rajnath Singh’s view rightly was, without that reference, that when the main purpose of the organisation is to fight terrorism, and you are not allowing a reference to that, he expressed his unwillingness to accept… SCO runs with unanimity,” Jaishankar said.
Rajnath Singh who is visiting Qingdao in China, had refused to sign the joint statement citing its failure to address terrorism-related concerns, specifically the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
