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351406
Tue, 12/16/2014 - 11:52
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Security issues have special place on Russia's SCO presidency agenda - ambassador to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, December 16. /TASS/. Security issues play a special part in the agenda of Russia's presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russia’s ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Dedov said while speaking at a conference dedicated to prospects of the Islamic republic becoming a full-format SCO member. “Issues of economic interaction within the framework of the SCO can’t be considered in isolation from the situation in the security sphere in the world and in the region,” Dedov said. “A special place on the agenda of Russia’s presidency of the organization is held by the issue of strengthening its role as an effective multisided site for dialogue and cooperation on issues of security, the fight against terrorism, separatism and illegal drug turnover,” he said. “Today like never before important are the political consolidation of the organization, elaboration of common approaches to urgent international and regional issues,” Dedov continued. He also mentioned “expansion of practical interaction with leading multisided organizations and associations, first and foremost the United Nations and its special structures, as well as with the CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO], ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations], the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia [CICA].” “This should in particular be contributed to by the SCO development strategy until 2025, in which coordinated approaches to the search for solutions to the common modern threats will be reflected,” Dedov stressed. “The document is due to be drafted for the meeting of the Council of SCO Heads of State in Ufa in 2015. I will recall that last year the decision was made to grant the SCO and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation [OIC] the reciprocal observer status,” he said. “Russia has consecutively spoken and is speaking for a positive agenda aimed not at dissociation but at development of integration ties between the states, including within the SCO framework,” the ambassador said. “Unfortunately, it is noteworthy that attempts by certain countries and their allies to ‘divide and rule’, push through one-sided approaches in the sphere, still continue. We see the results of such policy in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “During our presidency, we plan to focus efforts on implementation of the initiative to create on the basis of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure [RATS] of the SCO a center to counter threats and challenges to the security of the organization’s member states,” Dedov said. “The first step will be vesting RATS with antidrug functions.” “We hope for productive interaction with Pakistani partners in that future format,” he said. “With account for the role Islamabad is playing in the OIC work, we hope for its support in developing SCO interaction with that influential international structure.” “We also hope for support on the part of Pakistan of Russia’s initiative to eliminate drug production in Afghanistan,” Dedov said, adding that Moscow plans to make the suggestion at the SCO summit in Ufa in 2015. The SCO’s current members are Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been granted the observer status. In September, Pakistan and India filed official requests to join the SCO. Iran is also seeking full-fledged membership of the organization. Sri Lanka and Armenia have filed requests for the observer status. Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey have the status of SCO “dialogue partners.” Read more

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