Moscow Urges Greater Security Efforts Among SCO Members

TASHKENT, March 29 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) called on Friday for better coordination of efforts by members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in countering global threats, including terrorism.

“It is necessary to apply maximum efforts to implement the 2013-2015 program for combating terrorism, separatism and extremism,” FSB First Deputy Director Sergei Smirnov told the 22nd Session of the SCO Regional Counterterrorism Structure in Tashkent.

He blamed the growing income divide between rich and poor nations for “rising terrorist activity on both an international and regional level.”

Smirnov also said the Beijing-based SCO should develop its own information security system as part of an SCO threat prevention center, taking into account the individual factors in each member state.

He offered no indication as to when that center could be created.

Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The organization consolidates efforts to counter terrorism and radicalization among member countries, and also works on other policy areas such as politics and trade.

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status, while Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey are classed as dialogue partners.