Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy here on Thursday.

Singh arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day visit to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This is his second visit in the over two months.

“Offered flowers at Bapu’s statue in the Indian embassy in Moscow. My tributes to Mahatma Gandhi,” Singh tweeted.

Singh was accompanied by Indian Ambassador to Russia D.B. Venkatesh Varma.

Wearing a mask, Singh was seen with folded hands and bowed head in respect towards Gandhi.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them collectively here on Friday, officials said.

On Thursday, Singh held an “excellent meeting” with his Russian counterpart Gen. Sergey Shoigu here and discussed a wide range of issues, especially how to deepen defence and strategic cooperation.