India to host SCO anti-terror meet today

All the sides are expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R India, on Monday, will host the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO's) anti-terror body--Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in New Delhi. The meeting will see participation from all members of the group including Pakistan. The meeting will be from May 16 to 19.

The meeting aims to come up with anti-terror measures and particularly discuss the situation in Afghanistan. A three-member team from Islamabad reached India via the Wagah border crossing on Saturday. SCO's RATS is a permanent body based out of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

The chairmanship of the SCO is by rotation for a year between the member states. India is currently chairing the executive council. Islamabad's three-member delegation is the first one from the country since PM Shehbaz Sharif took over.

All the sides are expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, where instances of violence have increased since the Taliban took over in August 2021. Terrorism and violence in regional countries have increased, and there has been a rise in drug trafficking too.

The third Regional Security Dialogue (RSD) was held in New Delhi in an expanded format.

The National Security Advisers/Secretaries of the National Security Councils of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.

At the time, the evolving situation in Afghanistan was discussed including its ramifications on regional security.