Rajnath Singh Meets Iranian Vice-President and Tajikistan PM at SCO Meeting
Rajnath Singh Meets Iran’s First Vice-President and Tajikistan PM on SCO Visit
Dushanbe, October 20, 2026: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref and Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The meetings form part of India's diplomatic engagement with SCO member countries, with discussions taking place against the backdrop of regional cooperation, defence ties and stronger connections among participating nations.
Rajnath Singh Holds Talks with Tajikistan’s Prime Minister
Following his meeting with Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda, Rajnath Singh highlighted the longstanding civilisational relationship and strong people-to-people connections between India and Tajikistan.
The interaction underlined the importance of maintaining close bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.
India and Tajikistan share longstanding ties, including engagement in defence, training, cultural exchanges and regional affairs.
Meeting with Iran’s First Vice-President
Rajnath Singh also met Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s First Vice-President, during the SCO gathering. Singh shared details of the interaction publicly, describing it as a meeting on the sidelines of the Heads of Government meeting.
The meeting provided an opportunity for engagement between Indian and Iranian leadership representatives. Specific agreements or detailed outcomes from this interaction were not outlined in the available reports.
Earlier Meeting with Tajikistan’s Defence Minister
Before Tuesday’s engagements, Singh met Tajikistan’s Defence Minister Emomali Sobirzoda in Dushanbe on Monday.
The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on capacity building and training. Singh described the discussion as productive and expressed interest in further strengthening India-Tajikistan defence relations.
Tajikistan’s leadership also welcomed Singh and other representatives from SCO member countries ahead of the main meeting.
What Is on the SCO Agenda?
The SCO Heads of Government meeting brings together representatives of member countries to discuss cooperation across several areas, including the economy, investment, connectivity, innovation, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
India has highlighted initiatives involving start-ups, digital public infrastructure and cultural engagement as avenues for practical cooperation within the organisation.
Singh’s meetings with the Iranian and Tajik leaders reflect India’s continued participation in regional diplomatic engagement through the SCO framework.
India’s Regional Engagement - Rajnath Singh Meets Iranian Vice-President
The meetings in Dushanbe highlight India’s efforts to maintain dialogue with regional partners across Central Asia and beyond. The discussions with Tajikistan also build on existing defence cooperation, while the meeting with Iran’s First Vice-President adds another diplomatic engagement to Singh’s official visit.
Further details of any specific agreements or follow-up measures from the meetings would depend on subsequent official announcements.
Global Magazines will continue to follow major developments in Indian diplomacy, defence cooperation and regional affairs. - Rajnath Singh Meets Iranian Vice-President
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