A meeting of Secretaries of the SCO Security Councils started in Astana

The 19th meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, chaired by Kazakhstan, started in Astana.

As official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Aibek Smadiyarov reminded, for the first time Iran will take part in the event as a full SCO member state. Belarus and Mongolia, as SCO observer states, were also invited to participate in the meeting as guests.

It is expected that the secretaries of the SCO Security Councils will exchange views on the current international agenda and discuss ways to jointly counter terrorism, separatism, extremism, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and transnational organized crime. In addition, the parties will focus on cooperation in information security field and interaction within the UN, CICA and CSTO.

At the end of the meeting, a final document will be signed to reflect the common approaches of the SCO member countries to the development of a multilateral security partnership in the future.