AKIPRESS.COM - India hosted the 18th meeting of the Secretaries of Security Council of SCO member states in New Delhi on Wednesday, The Print reported.

The meeting in Delhi saw the participation of:

China - Wang Xiaohong, State Councillor and Minister of Public Security; India – Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor; Kazakhstan — Gizat Nurdauletov, an aide to the President; Kyrgyzstan — Lt. Gen. Marat Imankulov, Secretary of the Security Council; Pakistan — Engr. Amir Hassan, Secretary, National Security Division; Russia — Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council; Tajikistan — Nasrullo Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda, Secretary of the Security Council; Uzbekistan — Viktor Makhmudov, Secretary of the Security Council.

Deputy Secretary General of SCO Secretariat Nuran Niyazaleiv and Director of the RATS SCO Executive Committee Mirzaev Ruslan also joined the meeting.

India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in his opening remarks said that terrorism in all of its forms and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security.He made the remarks at, underlining that any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable.

“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable,” Doval said during his opening remarks at the SCO Meeting.

Doval, in his remarks also called upon the member states to have mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the member states.

“The Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations, and seeking no unilateral military superiority in areas,” he added.

Speaking further, the Indian NSA Doval thanked the top delegates for accepting his invitation to the meeting and said the participation of officials will not only enrich the discussions but also prepare the ground for a successful summit in a few months’ time.

Regarding connectivity, he said that it remains a key priority for India. “We stand ready to cooperate on investing in and building connectivity in the region. Expanding connectivity is also important to ensure that such initiatives are constituted,” he said.

Doval also underlined that India’s foreign policy is based on these very principles and reflects “our commitment in every possible manner”.

He also highlighted the issue of Chabahar port during the meeting.

“India is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the International North-South Transport Corridor and the inclusion of the Port within the framework of INSTC,” Doval stated. India became a member of SCO in June’17, but our relations with SCO countries go back several centuries, he added.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO consists of eight member countries — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — with several others engaging as observers or dialogue partners. This year, Iran will join the SCO as the ninth member country under the presidency of India.

In 2022, India assumed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Chairship for 2023. The annual SCO summit will take place in Goa in July.