Collective Cooperation Needed to Tackle Regional Security Challenges

IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

TEHRAN – A senior Iranian official says terrorism, extremism and the presence of foreign forces are the major threats to the region.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani said terror and extremism have affected regional peace and security.

“In our region, terrorism and extremism are disasters that still linger on, and, along with other factors, have affected the peace, security and welfare of us all,” he said at the opening of the 2nd Regional Security Conference in Tehran.

“We have no option, but to stand up to this threat through cooperation and rapport and by getting to grasp a proper understanding of the root causes behind the emergence and promotion of this threat,” he added at conference, which brought together senior security officials from Iran, Russia, China, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

He said the ongoing “detrimental presence” of foreign forces in the region is a key contributor to the promotion of terrorism and extremism in the region.

Shamkhani said this year’s conference focuses on Afghanistan.

“In this meeting, we will exchange views and analyze the different dimensions of the crisis in Afghanistan to work out practical solutions to boost collective security cooperation to tackle these challenges, which have directly affected efforts to strengthen stability and security in Afghanistan.

He said the key responsibility of the participating countries is to tackle the existing security challenges.

Shamkhani said: “Over the past year, our region has witnessed many developments, some of which are in line with the goals and interests of the region’s countries, and some have unfortunately added to the grief and suffering of the peoples of the region,” Iran Press reported.

He underlined that terrorism and extremism is a continuing scourge, affecting peace, security, and prosperity of the region, along with other factors.

“We have witnessed various incidents in the region during the past year, such as acts of terrorism and extremism, posing a threat to our region, and the only way to tackle this threat is through regional cooperation and collaboration,” Shamkhani added.

He said: “We are trying to exchange ideas and cooperate on how best to counter the challenges facing Afghanistan and neighboring countries.”

Iran’s top official went on to add: “Expanding coordination among regional countries against Takfiri terrorism is another matter to be discussed in the session.”

Senior security officials from Russia, Afghanistan, and India with high-ranking delegations are attending the conference which opened in Tehran on December 18, 2019.