Delegation of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS takes part in the meeting of heads of the border services

Delegation of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization took part in the 9th meeting of the heads of border services of the competent authorities of the SCO member states held on July 5, 2023, in Almaty.

Participants discussed the situation on the state borders of the SCO countries and considered measures to further strengthen their cooperation.

In his address, the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS Ruslan Mirzaev congratulated the Iranian colleagues on the decision taken the day before by the SCO heads of states on the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Shanghai family. He expressed confidence that Iranian representatives would actively participate in all formats of the Organization, make a significant contribution to the implementation of earlier decisions on countering terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as enhancing border cooperation.

During his speech, Ruslan Mirzaev noted that the meeting of the heads of border services is taking place in the context of an extremely complex and explosive international situation, due to a number of threats and challenges to which the international security system is exposed, including at the SCO borders.

The relations of trust and mutual understanding between the competent authorities of the SCO countries and the SCO RATS built by joint efforts are very important. Relations between the border agencies of the Parties should be based on the unshakable principles of the SCO Charter such as: mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the states and the inviolability of state borders; non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs; non-use of force or threat of force in international relations; renunciation of unilateral military superiority in adjacent border regions.

It is necessary to create a coordinated system for ensuring border security at the external borders of the SCO member states by the border agencies. The measures taken more than 20 years ago by the five founding states of the SCO allowed strengthening confidence on joint borders, and mutually withdraw offensive groups and heavy weapons from them to distances that exclude the possibility of their use against the other side.

RATS is seriously concerned about recurring border incidents between individual SCO countries. We believe that the main precondition for easing tension in border relations is the completion of the process of delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the state borders. Considering long-standing cultural and historical relations, border issues between neighbors must be resolved exclusively in a peaceful manner.

The escalation of the military and political situation and the unstable situation in Afghanistan bear the risk of its abuse by the forces of international terrorism and can serve as a detonator for aggravating threats to regional security. In the provinces bordering with Tajikistan, there is a concentration of militants of the Islamic State, such as Vilayat Khorasan and a number of other FTOs, which poses a threat to border security.

In conclusion, Ruslan Mirzaev expressed conficence that the border security system created by joint efforts would become a reliable guarantee of the peaceful development of the Shanghai family region, serving as an example of a fair and effective response to emerging threats.