Pakistan chairs 12th SCO meeting of heads of border services: FO

Pakistan chairs 12th SCO meeting of heads of border services: FO

Pakistan on Friday chaired and hosted the 12th meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Foreign Office (FO) said. The meeting was attended by the heads and representatives of the border services of Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, along with the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). The meeting participants exchanged information and assessments of the situation along the international borders of SCO member states and discussed development trends and forecasts, the FO said. The participants “discussed and approved the results of the Joint Border Operation ‘Solidarity-2025’, conducted by the border services of the competent authorities of the SCO member states”, the FO statement said. The meeting participants also considered and approved a plan for the preparation and conduct of the joint border operation ‘Solidarity-2026’, as well as supported a proposal for Tajikistan to host the joint border operation in 2027. The participants of the moot noted that today’s discussion “would contribute to further strengthening cooperation among [the member states’] border services, while enhancing security and mutual trust along their shared borders”, FO added. Iran’s border guard commander, Brigadier General Ali Akbar Javidan, leading the Iranian delegation, said on the sidelines of the meeting that Tehran was interested in fostering cooperation with SCO member states, ISNA reported. He added that Iran intended to enhance collaboration with SCO member states in various fields, including expanding security cooperation, exchanging information, and combating drug trafficking, organised crime and smuggling. Initially formed as a security cooperation group in 2001, the SCO has now evolved into a forum for trade and economic development in the region. The SCO comprises 10 member states, namely India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The two observer states are Afghanistan and Mongolia. In June, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the “Shanghai spirit” and called for a joint strategy among SCO member states to counter terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and terror financing. Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) in September this year, while next year’s CHS summit will also be hosted by Pakistan.