MOSCOW: The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the fight against international terrorism, drug trafficking, cross-border organized crime, and cybercrime during a Sept. 9-10 regular SCO Council meeting in Moscow.
This is the first off-line event between the foreign ministers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministers also discussed the importance of increasing the share of national currencies used in the SCO countries’ mutual settlements. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, this initiative is one of the main aspects of SCO cooperation.
The council approved draft statements regarding the cooperation in the aforementioned areas. The heads of the states will sign drafts at an SCO summit in November in Tajikistan.
The ministers supported the idea to enhance the SCO’s role and place, which is “becoming one of the influential participants in the modern system of interstate relations and making a significant contribution to maintaining security and stability in the region,” the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affiars’ press service said.
The council stressed the importance of developing SCO cooperation with observers and dialogue partners, as well as cooperation between the SCO and international and regional organizations.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi held meetings with counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, India, and Russia on the sidelines of the council.
In 2001, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan established the SCO to join efforts in strengthening stability and security in the countries. India and Pakistan joined in 2015. SCO observer countries include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia. SCO dialogue Partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.–Agencies
