New Delhi: A high level Indian delegation headed by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh is participating in the 9th meeting of Heads of Government authorities of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States dealing with the prevention and elimination of emergency situation in Ata city of the Kyrgyz Republic.
While making the opening statement at the SCO meeting, Union Home Minister expressed gratitude to all Member states of the SCO for their support for India’s membership. He said that India’s membership of SCO would take our cooperation to greater heights and this will improve our cooperation in combating emergencies. The Minister said that we have enhanced our technical capabilities in forecasting and monitoring natural hazards and India would cooperate extensively in further consolidation of SCO as an effective regional platform. He further said that we are committed to step up our coordinated efforts to counter common challenges and threats and to deepen cooperation in various spheres. He highlighted India’s role in International Cooperation such as the recent Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi and spoke in detail on India Initiative of forming a coalition on risk resilient infrastructure.
Shri Rajnath Singh also moved a proposal to organise a Joint Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue exercise to improve collective preparedness. Along with this India offers to host the next meeting of SCO Head of Departments dealing with Disaster Prevention in 2019. Both the proposals moved by the Union Home Minister were accepted unanimously by all the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
On the sidelines of the SCO Meet, Shri Rajnath Singh held bilateral meeting with Mr. Vladimir Puchkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Natural Disasters. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and constructiveness and it was mutually agreed to intensify the cooperation in the field of Disaster Management in order to minimize the risk we face due to increased frequency of natural calamities.
Home Minister also had bilateral meeting with Kyrgyz Republic’s Minister for Emergency Situations, Mr. Kubatbek Boronov. India and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to increase cooperation and share learning outcomes with each other on emergency situations.
Yesterday, Shri Kamal Kishore, Member, NDMA had attended the Expert Committee Meeting on coordination of draft of final document in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.
