SCO Heads of Government meeting: Rajnath Singh to lead India in Dushanbe
Why in the news
Reports on 15 October 2026 said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead its delegation to the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Indian media reports place the meeting on 19-20 October 2026.
Key facts
- Meeting: the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers), as named by China’s Foreign Ministry on 15 October 2026.
- Venue: Dushanbe, which last hosted this council on 12 October 2018.
- India: represented by Rajnath Singh, who is also due to hold bilateral talks with Tajikistan.
- China: Premier Li Qiang will be in Tajikistan from 18 to 20 October on the invitation of Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda.
- Agenda: trade, investment, transport and logistics, industrial collaboration and financial interaction.
- Pending item: SCO trade ministers, meeting in Dushanbe in September 2026, agreed a 2026-2030 Action Plan on trade and economic cooperation for approval by this council.
| SCO body | Latest/next meeting |
|---|---|
| Council of Heads of State (26th) | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 1 September 2026 |
| Council of Heads of Government (25th) | Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 2026 |
About the SCO Council of Heads of Government
The council brings together the prime ministers of SCO member states, separate from the Council of Heads of State that holds the annual summit. Tajikistan set up an organising committee for the Dushanbe meeting early in 2026. After the Bishkek summit, the SCO chairmanship for 2026-2027 passed to Pakistan, which chaired the National Coordinators’ meeting that prepared for this session.
Exam angle
- Do not mix up the two councils: heads of state met in Bishkek; heads of government meet in Dushanbe.
- Remember the venue (Dushanbe), India’s representative (Rajnath Singh) and the meeting number (25th).
- Current SCO chair: Pakistan (2026-2027).