Global co-operation important for tackling contemporary security challenges, say representatives of Shanghai Co-operation Organization

VIENNA, 10 May 2017 - Consolidating international efforts is the only way to tackle current security threats at the global level, representatives of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) told the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) in today’s session held under Russia’s Chairmanship. This is the first time that the SCO leadership addressed the OSCE within FSC’s Security Dialogue.

The Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization created in 2001 in Shanghai by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO's main goals include strengthening mutual trust among the member-states; promoting effective co-operation in politics, trade, economy and energy, as well as making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.

The SCO’s Secretary General Rashid Alimov noted that establishing co-operation with other international and regional organizations is one of the priorities of the organization’s work.

Alimov said that in the years since its creation the SCO managed to build “one of the world’s major systems for regional interaction, with an emphasis on guarantees of political stability, stronger security and broader co-operation in trade and economy”.

He named the joint fight against terrorism and extremism and combating illegal drugs, arms trafficking and other types of transnational crime as key issues addressed by the SCO member-states.

Colonel General Evgeny Sysoev, Director of the Executive Committee of SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), said that developing relations with relevant international and regional agencies is an important step towards integrating RATS into the global system of international security.

“The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is open for dialogue and consolidation of efforts and co-operation with relevant authorities and anti-terrorist bodies. We are also interested in developing relations with the OSCE and its Transnational Threats Department,” Sysoev said.