The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on Wednesday was focused on increasing the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure's (RATS) efficiency, Russia's top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2019) The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on Wednesday was focused on increasing the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure's (RATS) efficiency, Russia's top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, said on Wednesday.
"We have paid a special attention to improving the efficiency and expanding the scope of the activities of the SCO RATS in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, extremism and other threats and challenges on our territories," Lavrov told journalists.
He also said that the ministerial meeting was primarily devoted to preparing for the summit of the SCO Heads of State Council, scheduled to take place in Bishkek from June 13-14. These preparations included ministers analyzing the drafts of documents that will be for next week's event, Lavrov added.
The ministers also acknowledged the good prospects for developing humanitarian cooperation, Lavrov noted.
As for economic cooperation, the Russia-advocated Forum of Interregional Cooperation of the SCO Member States was launched, the minister said.
The SCO is an international intergovernmental organization that comprises six member states: China, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has five observer nations � Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, and Pakistan, have an observer-nation status � and three dialogue partners � Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka. � �
