World News| The SCO foreign ministers meeting was a complete success, and security cooperation is the top priority: Secretary-General Zhang Ming

BEIJING, May 11 (PTI) The recent meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Goa was a success and will set a new marker for the development of the eight member states, said Zhang Ming, its secretary-general, asserting that security cooperation remains an important The priority of regrouping.

India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting on May 4-5 at the beach resort of Benaulim, Goa.

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Foreign Minister Jaishankar Jaishankar, who presided over the meeting, said the meeting provided an opportunity to delve into the current status of the SCO’s multilateral cooperation, address issues of regional and global interest, and discuss the organization’s reform and modernization.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization consists of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India holds the rotating presidency of the organization this year.

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“The recent meeting of foreign ministers in Goa was a success. We have reasons to believe that the New Delhi summit will leave a new mark on the development of the SCO,” said Zhang, a senior Chinese diplomat before taking over as SCO secretary-general explain.

He said the purpose of the Goa meeting was to prepare for the upcoming summit.

“It can be said that our ministers had an in-depth exchange of views and they have completed all the items on the agenda of the meeting,” he said on Wednesday, adding that their private meeting provided a good basis for the leaders’ meeting.

During the meeting, the ministers also held multiple bilateral meetings and candid exchanges to discuss issues of common concern, he said.

“So, I believe the foreign minister will have achieved what was expected,” he said.

Security cooperation remains the top priority within the SCO, he said.

“As such, we address challenges ranging from terrorism, extremism, secession and drug threats, to cross-border crimes that use IT for illicit purposes,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bachtyor Saidov and SCO Secretary-General Zhang Jun attended the meeting .

“Since taking over the rotating presidency, India has put forward many initiatives in terms of cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Their proposals have been accepted and echoed by other member states,” Zhang said at a media briefing on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of the Goa meeting. results.

In addition, as a country with a “brilliant civilization” and a long history, India also attaches great importance to innovation and technology.

According to informed sources, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is expected to be held in early July this year. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to attend.

“As Chairman of the SCO, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated India’s priority to move towards a ‘safe’ SCO,” Jaishankar said in his speech at the Goa meeting.

SECURE stands for Security, Economic Development, Connectivity, Solidarity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, and Environmental Protection.

He said India has successfully organized more than 100 meetings and events, including 15 ministerial meetings, in preparation for the summit, with enthusiastic participation from member states, observers and dialogue partners.

“The New Delhi summit will also prioritize discussions on these topics. To sum up, India’s presidency over the past few months has been characterized by highly intensive and effective preparations,” Zhang said.

“The Indian side has proposed a substantive agenda for the summit,” he said.

On the issue of differences among some member states, Zhang said that bilateral differences have no impact on the organization.

“After India and Pakistan joined the organization in 2018, the efficiency of the SCO has not been affected. We have not encountered any difficulties,” he said, adding that the SCO adheres to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of member states and strengthens cooperation among member states.

“The SCO does not have a mechanism to resolve differences among member states. No member state has called on the SCO to resolve issues with other member states,” Zhang said in response to a question about border tensions between some Central Asian countries that are members of the organization when said.

“Because of the basic principles of the SCO, we were able to create a good atmosphere for cooperation,” he said.

“This environment helps our member states find common ground and common interests among them, thus enabling them to overcome their differences,” he said.

Over the years, the SCO has developed a powerful counter-terrorism force known as the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).

The formation of RATS is considered significant as security concerns intensify in South and Central Asia after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Zhang said that the SCO has paid more attention to issues such as energy, food security, public health, and climate change, and has established cooperation in areas other than the economic and trade field.

Apart from setting up its own development bank, the group is also working on promoting local currency payment mechanisms among member countries, he said. “The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is working on the issue of cross-border payment mechanisms. We want to facilitate the free flow of goods and technology,” he said.

He said the group had established some cooperation mechanisms and was working on the necessary legal and institutional arrangements for this purpose, pointing to various meetings held by officials from the finance ministries of member states.

Experts are carefully analyzing the differences between regulatory legislation and current settlements in local currencies. They are working to identify constraints, developments and prospects for expanding the use of the local currency in payment settlements, Zhang said.

“Also, the member states are discussing how to establish the SCO Development Bank. We are discussing the establishment of such a bank and special accounts,” he said.

The SCO’s popularity is rising as more countries apply to join, he said.

Iran is becoming a new member of the SCO, he said, adding that the organization has 14 dialogue partners and six other countries have applied for its observer status.

Zhang said that with Saudi Arabia joining the SCO as an observer, the group will make forays into the Middle East, as many Gulf countries have expressed interest in joining the group.

He sought to dismiss claims that China, a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, used the organization to challenge the United States and NATO, saying it was mere media speculation.

“The SCO does not compare itself to NATO. The SCO is not a political and military bloc, its goal is cooperation,” he said.

Moso is still in talks with the UN peacekeeping force, Zhang said.

Some SCO members are participating in the follow-up operation. Discuss ways to strengthen cooperation with UN peacekeeping engagement, he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)