' SCO member states try hard to fight smuggling, terrorism'

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's member states try hard to combat terrorism and smuggling, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said during the 11th prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Highlighting Iran's support for a regional approach for solving the region's problems, Rahimi went on to note that the SCO should play a more active role in the regional and global issues, the IRNA News Agency reported.

Prior to leaving Tehran for Bishkek on Tuesday, Rahimi had said that fighting terrorism and smuggling would be on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.

"Expanding bilateral ties, commercial and economic relations are among other important issues that will be discussed at the meeting," Rahimi said.

The 11th prime ministers' meeting of the SCO kicked off on Tuesday in Bishkek. The 10th summit was held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The Iranian official is supposed to hold talks with senior Kyrgyz officials including President Almaz Atambayev, Parliament Speaker Asylbek Jeenbekov and Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev on the sidelines of the summit.

The SCO is an intergovernmental security organization that was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Iran, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan are observer states in the SCO and Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey are dialogue partners.


/Trend/