SOCHI (Sputnik) — The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is seeking to take its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the fight against international terrorism to the next level, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov said Thursday.
"We [SCO] would like to move to a new level of cooperation with ASEAN in the fight against international terrorism. ASEAN and SCO have such specialized structures at their disposal," Alimov told journalists.
On May 19-20, the Russian resort city of Sochi hosts the Russia-ASEAN summit, marking the 20th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations. The association comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The SCO is a political, economic and military alliance founded in 2001 by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan hold observer status in the organization.
