In a significant development, an Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Dr Deepak Mittal, will travel to Islamabad to participate in the anti-terrorism conference, under the banner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

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The three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization –Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) legal experts meeting will kick off on Wednesday.

Pakistan will be hosting its first SCO meeting, since the country became a member of the organisation in June 2017, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. Besides India, legal experts from member states, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, as well as representatives of the SCO-RATS Executive Committee will participate in the meeting.

The legal experts will discuss terrorist threats faced by the region and come up with ways and means to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation between SCO member-states. For years, SCO-RATS have specialised in cooperation in counter terrorism operations with periodic exercises between the member countries.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Security Council Secretaries is underway. On the sidelines of the meeting, deputy national security adviser of India Rajinder Khanna had a one-on-one talk with Chinese officials where the latter was assured that China would work with India to strengthen high-level mutual visits and improve cooperation mechanisms.

Since 2016, this will be perhaps the first official delegation travelling to Pakistan. In the wake of Uri terror attack in 2016, PM Modi refused to travel to Islamabad for the SAARC summit. The India-led boycott derailed the meeting as the SAARC charter mandates presence of heads of states/government of all eight members.

TALKING POINT

  • Pak will be hosting its first SCO meeting, since the country became a member of the organisation.  
  • Legal experts will discuss terrorist threats faced by the region and come up with ways and means to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation between SCO member-states.