Iran backs Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) anti-terror cooperation: Senior diplomat

Iran supports the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) counter-terrorism plans and cooperation efforts, a senior Iranian diplomat has said. Mehrdad Kiaei, director general for SCO and BRICS Affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, made the remarks during a meeting with Ularbek Sharsheev, head of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), on the sidelines of a joint anti-terror exercise, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Kiaei highlighted the central role of the SCO and RATS in Iran’s foreign policy, calling RATS a “window into the region’s future security architecture.” He said Iran’s experience in combating terrorism enables its security and military institutions to play a “constructive and pivotal” role within the SCO’s counter-terrorism framework, Xinhua news agency reported. Sharsheev praised Iran’s hosting of the five-day drill, Sahand-2025, held in East Azarbaijan Province, and noted Iran’s “active and influential” participation in RATS activities. Sahand-2025 was the second joint counter-terrorism drill conducted by the SCO member states. The first, coded “Interaction-2024,” was held in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in July last year. The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and international security organization grouping China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. (IANS)

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