Tokayev says Kazakhstan supports creation of SCO security centers
Addressing the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined his vision for the Organization’s future priorities, Akorda reports.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev named strengthening strategic partnership and mutual support within the SCO as the first priority.
Amid escalating geopolitical conflicts, technological rivalry, financial and economic sanctions, as well as environmental and man-made disasters, the SCO must serve as a permanent platform for broad political dialogue, building mutual trust in the international community, and fostering humanitarian cooperation and intercivilizational dialogue. In this regard, we positively assess the initiatives of President Xi Jinping on global development, global security, global civilization, and global governance. We consider it extremely important to fully implement the ten-year development strategy of the SCO, to be adopted today, said Tokayev.
The President stressed that security cooperation is becoming increasingly urgent given the rise of international terrorism, religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal migration, cybercrime, and other destabilizing trends.
The Kazakh leader said: "Such threats to international security, including the so-called ‘three evils,’ can only be addressed through joint action. Therefore, Kazakhstan supports the establishment of four SCO centers to combat security challenges and threats".
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional ties between the SCO and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.
We call on SCO member states to continue providing humanitarian and technical assistance to Afghanistan, to help rebuild the country and integrate it into regional and economic processes. Kazakhstan has already begun developing several infrastructure and logistics projects in Afghanistan that will enhance connectivity among SCO states. Earlier this month, with the participation of the UN Secretary-General, we officially opened in Almaty the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan. We propose that SCO member states jointly leverage this Centre’s potential to coordinate efforts and expand regional cooperation in all priority areas, said Tokayev.
Earlier, it was reported Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addresses the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.