DUSHANBE, 24.06.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Yesterday, the Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan Nasrullo Mahmudzoda chaired the 16th meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister for National Security Ajit Doval, Assistant to the President — Secretary of the Security Council of Kazakhstan Asset Issekeshev, Member of the Chinese State Council Zhao Kezhi, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Marat Imankulov, Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister for National Security Moid Yusuf, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan Bobur Usmanov, SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Jumakhon Giyosov.

The parties discussed issues of ensuring security and stability in the SCO space.

In the context of the SCO’s 20th anniversary, the heads of delegations stressed the historical significance of the adoption on June 15, 2001, of the Declaration on the Establishment of the SCO.

They stated that the activities of the Shanghai Five on strengthening good-neighborliness, mutual trust and friendship, maintaining peace and stability in the region have made an important contribution to the establishment of the SCO and the formation of conditions for imparting a new quality and dynamics to multilateral cooperation.

They noted the importance of the Dushanbe Declaration of the Heads of State of July 4, 2000, which stressed the need to put effort to turn the Shanghai Five into a regional structure of multilateral cooperation in various fields.

They also stressed the positive nature of relations between the SCO member states, based on the SCO Charter, the Treaty on Long-Term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and other fundamental documents, which all contribute to the cause of peace and development in the SCO space.

In a short historical period, the organization has established itself as an influential and responsible participant in the modern system of international relations and relying on the generally recognized principles of international law, primarily the UN Charter, actively contributes to ensuring peace and stability, reliable security and sustainable development.

The main emphasis during the discussions was placed on preparations for the meeting of the Council of SCO Heads of State on September 16-17, 2021 in Dushanbe. In this context, a thorough exchange of views took place on further deepening cooperation between the SCO member states in the fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, as well as in the field of international information security.

They unanimously stressed the importance of maintaining international peace and security on the basis of the provisions of the UN Charter, as well as strengthening the key role of the UN and its Security Council as the body bearing the main responsibility for solving this problem.

The factors of instability and uncertainty are increasing in the world, the risks associated with the aggravation of conflicts in a number of regions, growing threat of terrorism, separatism, extremism and the radicalization that generates them, illicit trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, transnational organized crime, cybercrime, man-made and environmental disasters are increasing. The challenges associated with the spread of infectious diseases, and the consequences of global climate change are growing. The parties noted their convinction that countering these global challenges and threats is possible only through coordinated efforts, close interaction of all states and international multilateral associations on the basis of equal cooperation and mutual trust in accordance with the principles of international law.

The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious test for the entire world community. It was emphasized that the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic can become a catalyst for the spread of threats of terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and organized crime. In this regard, the parties spoke for the implementation of coordinated and comprehensive measures aimed at ensuring reliable security and sustainable socio-economic development in the SCO space.

The need to further strengthen the SCO as one of the pillars of the emerging more representative and just world order based on the supremacy of international law, first of all, the UN Charter, respect for civilizational diversity and peoples’ independent choice of the path of their political and socio-economic development, equal partnership of states in the interests of ensuring equal, joint, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security, progressive growth and prosperity in the SCO space.

The participants declared their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They consider it important to strengthen global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism with the central coordinating role of the UN through the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, as well as the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law, respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of states.

The rejection of the application of the policy of “double standards” in relation to terrorists, separatists and extremists was confirmed.