SCO, Sri Lanka Preparing Legal Base for Cooperation in Fight Against Terrorism

The SCO and Sri Lankan Defense Ministry are abou to conclude the legal base for anti-terrorism cooperation, RATS press service said on Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO) and Sri Lankan Defense Ministry will in the near future finish the preparation of the legal base for cooperation, RATS press service said on Monday.

"RATS and the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense have reached an agreement to speed up the signing of a cooperation protocol between the two structures in the near future," a RATS spokesperson told RIA Novosti.

According to the spokesperson, the parties have established the information exchange process regarding the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism.

The press service added that RATS and Sri Lankan Defense Ministry already had a meeting in late 2016, during which the parties have "pointed out the progress in preparation of the protocol."

The SCO is a political, military and economic alliance comprising Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan hold observer status in the organization, while Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Armenia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka have the status of dialogue partners.

RATS, headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a permanent SCO body that serves to promote cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism among its member states.

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