DUSHANBE, April 9, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- The seventh session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Security Councils secretaries will take place in Beijing, China on April 12.

China’s news agency Xinhua reports the meeting, which will be presided over by Chinese State Councilor Meng Jianzhu, will focus on issues including the regional security situation and deepening security cooperation among the SCO members.

Tajikistan will be represented by the Security Council Secretary Abdurahim Qahhorov at the meeting, which according to The Guangming Daily , will also consider issues related to strengthening of cooperation between the member nations in combating the cyber terrorism, the “three evils” (terrorism, religious extremism and separatism) and other crimes within the SCO area.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.

The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations’ Central Asian security-related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism.  However evidence is growing that its activities in the area of social development of its member states is increasing fast.