SCO members in talks to establish a Centre to address security threats

SCO Emblem and Flags.
Photo: TASS

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is planning a security center. Member states are in consultation for this initiative. The aim is to address regional security threats. Focus areas include information security and transnational crime. A summit in Tianjin will discuss these plans, ‘India Times’ writes.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states are accelerating consultations to establish a comprehensive centre to deal with security threats and challenges, China said on Thursday.

China is this year's rotating chair of the 10-member bloc, consisting of Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and China.

China will host the SCO summit on August 31-September 1 at the port city of Tianjin.

"Parties are accelerating the consultations regarding the establishment of a comprehensive centre for dealing with security threats and challenges," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here while answering questions on the work done by China to improve the SCO functioning during its Presidency.

They are also making efforts to form an "information security centre, a centre for fighting transnational organised crime and a counternarcotic centre, to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security and to build a new paradigm for regional security cooperation", he said.

Guo said that leaders of over 20 countries and heads of 10 international organisations will gather together for the summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the summit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting on July 15 at Tianjin.

China will work with all member states to complete the preparations in the final phase, accumulate positive outcomes in areas such as security, development, livelihood and mechanisms, so as to hold a friendly and united summit with fruitful results, Guo said.

The Summit will guide the SCO to enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring more solidarity, coordination, vitality and contribution, and build a closer SCO community with a shared future, he said.

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