Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi that the existence of some terrorist groups in Afghanistan are the main threat to neighboring countries, especially Central Asia.
Speaking at the meeting, Shoigu noted that the topic of Afghanistan must be kept on the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
“At the same time, numerous radical extremist groups entrenched in the territory of Afghanistan pose the main threat, promoting their ideas and efforts in neighboring republics. To our mind, the topic of Afghanistan must be kept on the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Only comprehensive international and regional assistance can facilitate measures to overcome challenges Afghanistan faces alone,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
India, which hosted the meeting, asked the members of the SCO to jointly fight against terrorism in the region.
“If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalization of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger & more credible international organization, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said at the meeting that his country is willing to join hands with other SCO members to implement the Global Security.
“China is willing to join hands with other SCO members to implement the Global Security Initiative, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance anti-terrorism cooperation, expand fields for cooperation and improve cooperation mechanisms, so as to contribute to global and regional peace and stability,” Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said at the meeting.
Although Afghanistan is an observer member of SCO, this meeting was held without the presence of an Afghan representative.
The Islamic Emirate's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that Afghanistan's security and stability are ensured, and the world's worries are unfounded.
"The worries are unfounded; we can say that a lot has changed, a lot of optimism has been created, and practical steps have been made. They should not disregard security or the stability that exists in Afghanistan, and they should continue to rely on it,” Mujahid noted.
According to some military experts, the fight against terrorism by the countries of the region will not be effective without the presence of Afghanistan.
"If they are certain that Daesh is present in Afghanistan, they should join with the Islamic Emirate in this fight and combine their intelligence data with the Islamic Emirate so that there is a unified fight against the enemy,” said Mohammad Mateen Mohammadkhail, a military analyst.
At the end of the meeting, the SCO's member nations signed a resolution reaffirming their common commitment to promoting regional security, peace, and prosperity.
The SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting was held in New Delhi with the presence of defense ministers of China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and a number of observer members.