President Tokayev wants SCO to counter international terrorism
According to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, international terrorism is on the rise. This is why the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should take systemic and decisive countermeasures. He made this statement during a meeting of security council secretaries from SCO member states.
«In 2023, regional and local conflicts grew by 30%, amounting to 183. This is the highest number over the past 30 years. Some experts believe that the global cycle of conflicts and violence is rolling out, which makes the threat of international terrorism more dangerous,» Tokayev stated.
He also highlighted that recent tragic events in Russia that took the lives of innocent people have proven that terrorists continue to exploit cruel forms of violence.
«Kazakhstan immediately condemned the terrorist act and expressed its solidarity with Russia. The two countries’ special services are in touch with each other on issues related to counterterrorist activities,» the president emphasized.
Tokayev reminded that the SCO’s fundamental goal is to secure stability and security in the region by countering the «three powers of evil» in conjunction.
«We have to take systemic and decisive countermeasures. We can’t allow terrorism, extremism and separatism to undermine stability in our countries,» he said.
As a result, the president has proposed adopting a cooperation program to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism in 2025-2027.
The SCO is an international organization devoted to Asia’s security and economic cooperation issues. Its member states are Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran.
The context. On March 22, a group of terrorists attacked Crocus City Hall, a concert venue near Moscow. They started shooting people gathered at Crocus to watch the Russian band Picnic and then set the building on fire. According to official data, 143 concertgoers have died.
The next day, Russian law enforcement agencies detained 11 people, including four citizens of Tajikistan: Dalerjon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni and Mukhammadsobir Faizov. Authorities also disclosed the names of four other suspects: Isroil Islomov and his sons Dilovar and Aminchon, as Dilovar is the former owner of a car the terrorists used on the day of the attack, and Alisher Kasimov, who was a Kyrgyzstani citizen until 2014. Law enforcement officials said that he leased his apartment to one of the terrorists.
According to the Ministry of Labor of Kyrgyzstan, the extremists are looking for recruits for their activities among Kyrgyzstanis living in Russia. The agency called for people to stay calm, ignore job offers through social networks, avoid participating in campaigns and keep an eye on their children.
