SCO to develop propositions on fight against ISIS -- Mezentsev
"On the initiative of Foreign Affairs Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov we have decided to prepare those expert opinions and ideas which must be taken into consideration by the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO. The Council of this structure ensures as much as possible interaction among the representatives of SCO member countries' power units. It is clear, that we are seeking for a certain format of interaction with the observer states and even with our dialogue partners," the SCO Sec-Gen said. He reminded that in July 2015 in Saint-Petersburg the SCO defense minister agreed to hold "Peaceful Mission-2016" antiterrorist drills in Kyrgyzstan. "The issue of improving effectiveness of interaction in fight against three ‘evils' - terrorism, separatism and extremism - has been of priority importance at the meetings of the secretaries of the Security Council, at the meetings of the prosecutors general, supreme court chairpersons and internal affairs ministers. I would like to stress that the SCO is not either a military-political union or a military organization. For this reason, the interaction among the law-enforcement departments of the member countries, primarily, under the aegis of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure - relies on the potential of political and diplomatic measures," Mezentsev noted. According to him, the forthcoming 11th session of the SCO Forum in Tajikistan will provide a special section for analyzing the motivation of the ISIS followers as well as socio-economic and ideological measures of countering its activity. "We should understand that the struggle against this evil should not only engage policemen and militaries. It is important to analyze why people agree to join it, what the ISIS recruiters offer them, what makes young people leave their families, houses, study and go so far putting their lives and health at a risk," he stressed.
