New Delhi: During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, national security advisers from member states discussed cooperation against religious fundamentalism and the growing risks of international organized crime, including arms and drug trafficking.
The members pledged cooperation in the joint fight against international terrorism, extremism and separatism.
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According to the details of the meeting, the members also emphasized the regional counter-terrorism framework of the SCO, which can play an important role in ensuring regional security and strengthening relations between member states in countering the threats and challenges of the modern world.
The meeting also discussed cooperation among member states in ensuring reliable information security, joint fight against cybercrime and issues of biological security and food security in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Emomali Rahmon addressed the meeting.
Indian NSA Ajit Doval was also one of the participants of the meeting. Last year, Ajit Doval was kicked out of the SCO virtual meeting of national security advisers after Pakistan showed a “fictional” map in violation of the agenda of the gathering. However, in recent months, the Pakistani political and military leadership has softened the rhetoric against India.
Pakistani NSA Moeed Yusuf also attended this meeting. He had earlier said that there is no possibility of a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the SCO meeting.
Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said in April that a stable relationship between India and Pakistan is the key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity. In February, India and Pakistan agreed to strictly adhere to the 2003 ceasefire agreement.
The meeting was also attended by Kazakhstan’s Asset Iskashev, Kyrgyz Republic’s Marat Imankulov, Russia’s Nikolai Petrushev, Tajikistan’s Nasrulo Mahmudzoda, Uzbekistan’s Bobur Usmanov and Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Director Zumakhon Giosov.
According to Russian news agency TASS, the Russian Security Council said that Patrushev and Doval discussed in detail “further plans for Russia-India dialogue in the security field, cooperation between security and law-enforcement agencies”. The two NSAs had met on Tuesday and exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and the Asia-Pacific region.
(with agency input)
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