DUSHANBE, April 14, 2014, Asia-Plus – The 9th meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member nations will take place in Dushanbe from April 16-17.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, Security Council Secretaries from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, China’s Minister of Public Security, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Security Council Secretary, SCO Secretary-General and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) will participate in the meeting that is expected to discuss issues related to strengthening regional security and maintaining stability within the SCO area. 

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. The Head of RATS is elected to a three-year term. Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS.

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.