41st meeting of the SCO RATS Council took place in Tashkent

The 41st Meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS) under the chairmanship of the People's Republic of China was held in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan) on March 29, 2024. It was attended by delegations of the competent authorities of the Republic of India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and representatives of the SCO RATS Executive Committee.

During the meeting, the SCO RATS Council issued a statement condemning the terrorist attacks committed on January 3, 2024 in the city of Kerman in the Islamic Republic of Iran, on March 22, 2024 in the Crocus City Hall building in the Moscow region of the Russian Federation and on March 26, 2024 in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. They expressed deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.

During the meeting, the Report of the SCO RATS Council to the Council of SCO Heads of State on the activities of the SCO RATS in 2023 was adopted. Information on the progress of implementation of decisions of the SCO RATS Council was considered. The activities of the SCO RATS Executive Committee for the past period were assessed positively.

The SCO RATS Council approved the performance of the competent authorities of the SCO member states and the SCO RATS Executive Committee based on the outcomes of the implementation of the Program of Cooperation of the SCO Member States in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2022-2024 during 2023.

Decisions were made to approve the draft Program of Cooperation of the SCO Member States in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2025-2027, as well as the results of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercise of the competent authorities of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization dubbed “Eurasia-AntiTerror-2023” held in the city of Bishkek and the Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercise of the competent authorities of the SCO member states aimed at identifying and stopping the use of the Internet for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes held in 2023 in New Delhi.

The proposal of the Kyrgyz side to conduct a Joint Border Operation of the border services of the competent authorities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states dubbed “Solidarity-2024” was supported.

A number of documents were approved in the field of countering the forces of “three evils,” including the Kazakhstan’s initiative on Joint Measures to be taken by the competent authorities of the SCO member states to counter current challenges and threats of terrorism, separatism and extremism, emerging in the context of situations that threaten peace, security and stability in the SCO region.

Participants discussed cooperation between the competent authorities of the SCO member states in the field of countering the use of the Internet, as well as in identifying and suppressing channels for financing terrorist activities.

The title “Honorary Representative of an SCO Member State in the SCO RATS Council” was awarded to representatives of the People's Republic of China Du Hanwei and the Republic of Tajikistan Mirzozoda Nusratullo Nemat.

A number of staff members of the competent authorities of the SCO member states and officials of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS were awarded for personally contributing to the activities of the SCO RATS and strengthening interaction between the competent authorities of the SCO member states.

The participants made decisions related to the organizational and financial support and human resources necessary for the functioning of the SCO RATS Executive Committee.

An agreement was reached to hold the next meeting of the SCO RATS Council in the People's Republic of China.