SCO members promise closer security cooperation

By Shafei Moiz Hali

In June, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is scheduled to be held in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province. Leading up to this significant event, rounds of ministerial level meetings have to take place in order to streamline the agenda points of the main event and to bring all member and participant countries on the same page. Last month the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO took place and from May 21 – 22 the 13th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Security Council Secretaries took place. The meeting took place in Beijing in which Indian Deputy National Security Adviser Rajinder Khanna, Presidential Aide and Secretary of National Security Council of Kazakhstan Nurlan Ermekbaev, Secretary of the National Security Council of Kyrgyzstan Damir Sagynbayev, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Security Nasser Khan Janjua, Secretary of the National Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the National Security Council of Tajikistan Abdurahim Kahorov, Secretary of the National Security Council of Uzbekistan Makhmudov Victor Vladimirovich, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure Yevgeniy Sysoyev came together at the invitation of the State Councilor Zhao Kezhi. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with heads of foreign delegations attending the 13th meeting of Security Council Secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2018.[Photo: Xinhua]

The major focus of the meeting was to get all the top security big wigs of the respective SCO member countries to sit together put on their thinking caps and focus on issues including the regional security situation and priority of security cooperation among the SCO members. As today's world is plagued with security crises which not only hinder trade and international relations, but are also tarnishing the social fabric of many countries. It is because of this reason that security cooperation is amongst the significant agenda points of the SCO. 

Participation, cooperation and intelligence sharing are all integral points for guaranteeing peace and security, as well as in streamlining exchanges in economy, science, innovation and arms exchanges. Amongst the SCO permanent members Russia and China are ranked 2nd and 3rd according to the 2018 military strength rankings of Global Fire Power. India is ranked 4th, Pakistan is ranked 17th, Uzbekistan is ranked 39th, Kazakhstan is ranked 50th, Kyrgyzstan ranked 91st, and Tajikistan is ranked 96th. 50 percent of the permanent members of the SCO are ranked amongst the top 20 militaries in the world. This statistic coupled, with the fact that two of the SCO members are permanent members of the UN Security Council, makes the SCO a very important platform and exchanges amongst such a strong block can only make it stronger. 

The security apparatus of the SCO countries have been busy over the years in streamlining cooperation in the spheres of defense and security, encompassing characteristics such as security policy concepts and agreements, counterterrorism activities, armament deals, and most importantly military exercises. The SCO's security model alternates around supporting military cooperation and collaboration towards countering inter-regional and intra-regional threats including drug trafficking, arms trafficking, organized crimes and terrorism. The coalition regularly takes on joint ground, air and naval exercises to augment efficiency, while at the same time steering military operations against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The following table highlights a few facts related to the joint military exercises held so far between SCO countries.

A table shows joint military exercises among SCO members since 2001. [Table by Shafei Moiz Hali]

This year's edition of the renowned Peace Mission exercise of the SCO members will include India and Pakistan and this will be the first time in history that these two nations will participate in a multilateral military exercise together. The two countries have fought a number of wars with one another and such an exercise will be a major step in promoting peace between the two nations.

Historically, the SCO has advanced collective security measures tremendously and one of its most notable achievements in terms of security has been the establishment of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). RATS Headquarters is the heart of intelligence sharing to combat the 'three evils' (separatism, extremism & terrorism) among the member countries. The apparatus also aids in maintaining a data bank regarding terrorist groups and organizations. Regular seminars are conducted aiming at restricting terrorism, advancing specialized training and preserving coordination with other international security organizations.

During the 13th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Security Council Secretaries all of the top security officials from the member countries agreed that they would work together with China to enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security. Damir Sagynbayev, secretary of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan said, "Kyrgyzstan is willing to enhance cooperation on law enforcement security and make new achievements in promoting bilateral ties with China."

Secretary of the Security Council of Uzbekistan Viktor Makhmudov guaranteed that, "Uzbekistan would work with China to safeguard the security interests of both countries and both peoples."

A.A. Kahharov, secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan said, "Tajikistan is willing to achieve more fruitful results in cooperation on law enforcement security with China." Assistant to the President and Secretary of the Security Council of Kazakhstan Nurlan Yermekbayev said, "Kazakhstan would like to work with China to jointly build a community of common interest and shared future." Pakistan's National Security Adviser Naseer Khan Janjua said, "Pakistan is willing to enhance cooperation on law enforcement security with China and ensure the smooth development of the Pakistan-China economic corridor." Rajinder Khanna, deputy national security adviser of India said, "India stands ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and enhance cooperation on law enforcement security." 

The SCO's potential, capacity, capability and expansion are triggering a lot of interest in the region as well as among neighboring regions. The SCO has fast become a significant addition to the existing world of multilateral organizations. The SCO's stance of boosting cooperation and its non-interventionist role is very appealing to other countries and this rise in stature of the SCO will have tremendous positive impacts on the 'Modern Great Game'.

(Dr. Shafei Moiz Hali studied at George Mason University, Virginia, USA and specialized in the field of International Commerce and Policy. He did his PhD from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China specializing in Chinese foreign policy focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative and energy issues. Currently Dr. Hali is working as an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Contemporary Studies, National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad, Pakistan.)