Kazakh president says Shanghai Cooperation Organization needs to update its approach to modern challenges

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Kazakhstan’s president said on Wednesday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) approach needs freshening in the face of new challenges.

“The SCO needs to update its approaches to modern challenges and threats. Active and quite fruitful work is being carried out in this direction,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting with the heads of the security councils of SCO member states in the Kazakh capital Astana, according to a statement by the country’s presidency.

Saying that a process was launched at the suggestion of Kazakhstan to improve the SCO’s activities, Tokayev said it is necessary to realize the organization’s potential as an effective instrument of regional and international security.

Tokayev said that the meetings of the heads of the security councils of SCO member states are important in achieving this goal, as they are the ones coordinating the various areas of national security.

“Nowadays, a holistic, integral approach to countering challenges and threats is extremely important,” he added.

Tokayev also said the situation in the world shows no signs of improvement, and that challenges to the national security of SCO countries remain “without any exaggeration.”

“This stresses the need for all our countries to unite within the SCO in order to take joint efforts and concrete actions aimed at neutralizing and eliminating all threats that come from outside,” he said.

He went on to say that the threat of international terrorism is rising, adding that these threats not only remain relevant, but are also transformed and have become more severe.

“We, in turn, need more systematic and decisive responses. We must not allow manifestations of terrorism, extremism, and separatism to be used to undermine internal stability in our states,” Tokayev said, adding that countering this is one of the priorities of Kazakhstan’s current SCO chairmanship.

Earlier in the day, the heads of the security councils of SCO member states held their 19th annual meeting in the Kazakh capital.​​​​​​​