On 27 April 2017, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov delivered opening remarks at the conference's plenary session titled Asia-Pacific: A balance of interests or a military standoff?
Mr Alimov spoke about the current state of international cooperation against the backdrop of maintaining global and regional stability and security.
"Stronger mechanisms of global governance based on international law, equal and indivisible security and mutual respect for one another's interests will provide conditions for a new stage in the development of the international community and international relations," the SCO Secretary-General said.
He pointed out that "security cannot be unilateral in the 21st century. Terrorism, violent extremism and illegal drug and arms trafficking have become intertwined as cross-border crimes on a global scale. It is only by coordinating measures and collective efforts that we can effectively combat these crimes."
Rashid Alimov reported on the SCO's practical actions to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, illegal drug trafficking and cross-border organised crime. He said that these are among the key priorities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
"The SCO is not a military bloc, but our irreconcilable struggle against the threat of terrorism calls for developing and strengthening mechanisms for eradicating this evil. Of special importance in this respect are the joint counterterrorism exercises of the SCO militaries called Peace Mission. They are held in order to train for joint military operations against terrorist groups under various conditions and with the use of various weapons and military equipment," Rashid Alimov said.
The SCO stands for broader international cooperation in the fight against traditional and emerging challenges and threats and for closer interaction with the UN and its specialised agencies. The SCO's priorities also include the strengthening of cooperation with ASEAN, the CIS, the CSTO and CICA.
The SCO Secretary-General said the following about preparations for this year's SCO summit: "Between 8-9 June, the SCO leaders will meet in Astana to consolidate their views on international security in the current global and regional situation and to outline the main areas for strengthening their countries' cooperation against modern challenges and threats."
According to preliminary estimates, the 6th Moscow Conference on International Security was attended by over 600 people, including 22 defence ministers from Asia, Africa, Europe and America, as well as politicians, high-ranking diplomats, academics and experts, as well as journalists from many countries.