DUSHANBE, May 18, 2015, Asia-Plus — A meeting of interior ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member nations is expected to take place in Dushanbe from June 3-5.
The meeting will discuss issues related to coordination of activities of the SCO law enforcement agencies in combating transnational crime and trafficking in weapons and drugs.
The SCO interior ministers are expected to be received by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, a source in the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
The ministers will also observe a joint anti-terror drill that will be conducted for servicemen of Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry and China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) that will be conducted at the Magov training center in the Vahdat Township, the source said, noting that the servicemen will rehearse coordination and interaction in combat missions in mountains.
Founded by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.
The Organization currently has six full members — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India are four observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
The Organization’s six full members account for 60% of the land mass of Eurasia and its population is a quarter of the world”s population. With observer states included, its affiliates account for about half of the world”s population.
