ASTANA (WAM)
The heads of state and government of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on Thursday ratified the Astana Declaration issued by the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, as well as several proposals and resolutions aimed at boosting cooperation across various fields.
The Astana Declaration affirms the readiness of Member States to take comprehensive measures to eliminate all enablers of terrorism and extremism, including the drive to combat terrorism financing, recruitment activities, cross-border movement of terrorists and the use of new information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes.
Member countries will also intensify collective efforts to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, and any form of religious intolerance, xenophobia, radical nationalism, and national and racial discrimination.
The declaration emphasised the rejection of double standards in the fight against terrorism and stressed that terrorism in all its forms cannot be justified, noting that the entire international community must strongly condemn the condoning and harbouring of terrorists.
The resolutions and proposals signed include the draft 2035 SCO development strategy and the proposals submitted by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States to optimise SCO activities. They also include the 2025-2027 cooperation programme to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, the 2024-2029 SCO anti-narcotics strategy and its implementation programme, in addition to the organisation's 2030 strategy for developing energy cooperation, and the implementation plan for the 2030 SCO strategy of economic development.