TSAMTO, April 28. A meeting of the heads of defense ministries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries was held in New Delhi on April 28.
The meeting was attended by the defense ministers of Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Secretary General of the SCO, Director of the executive committee of the regional anti-terrorist structure of the organization.
Below, the main theses of Sergei Shoigu's report are presented in the presentation of the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
In his report at the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries, Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu raised issues of international and regional security and further strengthening of cooperation in the field of defense.
The head of the Russian military department noted that, in an effort to maintain global dominance, the United States and its allies have seriously eroded the global security architecture. On their initiative, the process of breaking and dismantling key agreements on arms control and confidence-building was launched.
He recalled that first Washington unilaterally terminated the Soviet-American Anti-Missile Defense Treaty, refused to ratify the Agreement on the Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, then withdrew from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles and the Open Skies Treaty.
Shoigu noted that today's meeting with SCO colleagues "takes place against the background of an extremely unstable international situation."
"Cardinal, dynamic and irreversible changes are taking place in the process of the formation of a new multipolar world. The collective West actively opposes this," the Russian Defense Minister stated.
He also noted that the United States and its allies are seeking to reformat the system of interstate relations by creating controlled regional alliances.
"Today, this destructive line is manifested in the desire to reformat the system of interstate relations by creating controlled regional alliances," the Russian Defense Minister said.
"At the same time, he noted, unprecedented pressure is being exerted on independent states, blatant blackmail, threats, color revolutions and coups d'etat are being used, gross misinformation is being spread."
"All this has long been the hallmark of the West," Shoigu said.
According to him, "as a result, security mechanisms and cooperation formats that have been created for decades are being tested for strength, frozen interstate contradictions are escalating, and the likelihood of local crises escalating into large-scale conflicts is increasing."
In this regard, the Minister recalled that Russia initiated a dialogue with the West on strategic stability in 2021, during which it was supposed to consider all security issues and determine possible ways to resolve them by political and diplomatic methods.
"However," Shoigu said, "our proposals in this regard were rejected, which indicates an unwillingness to build an equal partnership."
The Minister noted that the Russian side has always stressed the importance of building equal and indivisible security, preserving the central role of the UN, adherence to its charter, goals and principles aimed at maintaining peace and stability.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu invited colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to take part in the next conference on international security to be held in Moscow this year.
"Taking this opportunity, I invite you to take part in the XI Moscow Conference on International Security. This event has become a significant platform for discussing the most acute military-political problems, which is becoming especially relevant in modern conditions," Shoigu said.
At the same time, he called it important to strengthen the role of the SCO "as one of the pillars of the new multipolar international system, a model of interstate relations based on equality and mutual respect, compliance with international law."
"It is necessary to maintain close coordination within the SCO, to hold regular consultations on issues of common security both in multilateral and bilateral formats," Shoigu said.
The Russian Defense Minister said that the conflict in Ukraine confirms the focus of Washington and its allies on provoking other countries to a military confrontation with Moscow and Beijing.
"Today, Washington and their accomplices are implementing their strategic plan, which consists in provoking other countries to military confrontation with undesirable states, primarily with Russia and China. A vivid confirmation of such a criminal policy is the conflict in Ukraine. His true goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, create a threat to China and maintain his monopoly position in the world," Shoigu said.
According to him, "for this purpose, more than five billion US dollars were spent on the Maidan unconstitutional coup in 2014, which led to the formation of a hostile nationalist Russophobic regime on our borders, which eagerly rushed to solve the "Russian question" in Ukraine.
"Taking into account Kiev's refusal to comply with the Minsk Agreements and the real threat to the residents of Donbass, we have decided to conduct a special military operation," Shoigu said.
The combat potential and capabilities of almost all the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance were used against Russia with the beginning of a special military operation in Ukraine.
"The West has demonstrated its advance preparation for confrontation with the Russian Federation. Large–scale sanctions were immediately imposed against Russia, arms supplies to Ukraine were organized, intelligence supplies were provided, military advisers and mercenaries were sent to the combat zone," Shoigu said.
"Thus," he stated, "the military potential and capabilities of almost all NATO countries were involved."
Shoigu drew the attention of the defense ministers of the SCO member states to the fact that weapons transferred to Ukraine fall into the hands of terrorists, which affects stability in Europe and the world as a whole.
"The transferred weapons end up on the black market and further into the hands of terrorist organizations, which creates additional risks, especially given the statements about the supply of ammunition with a depleted uranium core to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Shoigu said.
According to him, "arms supplies to Kiev only prolong the conflict, lead to new victims and destruction of infrastructure, and finally return like a boomerang, affecting stability in Europe and the world as a whole."
As S. Shoigu stated, "Russia was left with no other options but to eliminate the threats emanating from the territory of Ukraine by military means. Our tasks are clear, and the special military operation will be brought to an end."
During the meeting, Shoigu focused the attention of his colleagues on the military-biological programs implemented by the Pentagon in Ukraine, which are aimed at developing components of biological weapons.
"On the example of Ukraine, we see the dual purpose of these programs and their actual focus on the development of biological weapons components, which is a direct violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons," Shoigu stressed.
According to him, the military-biological activity of the United States is of particular concern.
"We have repeatedly brought our concerns to the world community and noted that the Pentagon's implementation of military biological programs on the national territory and beyond its borders poses a serious danger to other states and entire regions," Shoigu said.
At the same time, he noted that part of the United States strategy in the field of biosafety is the transfer of the most dangerous research to third countries.
"All this activity continues, including due to the inarticulate reaction of some states due to the fear of going into confrontation with the American authorities," the Russian Defense Minister said.
Taking into account these circumstances, he noted, Russian experts will continue to closely monitor Washington's plans and share information about the bio-threats that arise in this case.
Also, the head of the Russian military department in his report stressed that the West's attempts to influence Russia's partners in order to isolate it are failing.
"Against the background of a special military operation, attempts are continuing to influence Russia's partners in order to isolate it. A large-scale information campaign has been launched to compromise the Russian leadership and its policies. Uncompromising attitude and readiness to increase all–round pressure is being demonstrated, regardless of the current damage to their economic and political interests," Shoigu said.
"However," he noted, "all these attempts are failing."
In this regard, the Minister expressed gratitude to the SCO member states for their principled position and support.
"The independent course of the Organization in solving the problems of regional and global security is an example for the whole world," S. Shoigu stressed.
Among those who are most actively opposing the formation of a multipolar world in the Asia-Pacific region today, the Russian Defense Minister named Washington and its allies.
"The West's opposition to the strengthening of multipolarity is most actively implemented in the Asia-Pacific region, where the United States initiated the collapse of the existing system of regional cooperation based on ASEAN," Shoigu said.
According to him, the beginning of this was laid by the creation of military-political blocks, such as QUAD and AUCUS.
"They are merging with NATO, which, in turn, has claimed a dominant role here," Shoigu said.
He noted that the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific region is being promoted, and it "presupposes the construction of a block system of interstate relations in which Americans assign themselves the authority to determine norms and rules of conduct."
"A front is being formed to contain China. The so-called Taiwan problem is purposefully escalating, territorial disputes in the South China and East China Seas are being heated up," Shoigu said, noting that one of the main achievements in the Asia-Pacific region should be preserved – blockless and equal cooperation.
"The mechanisms of cooperation with non-regional partners formed here have shown their relevance and effectiveness. First of all, this is a meeting of the Defense Ministers of the ASEAN countries and partners, the so–called "SMA Plus" format, focused on solving topical issues in the field of security," the minister said.
In addition, he noted, there is a positive experience of cooperation within the SCO, the implementation of mutually beneficial projects on a bilateral basis.
In his speech, the head of the Russian military department paid special attention to the situation in the Central Asian region, which, in his opinion, has prerequisites for further aggravation.
"Radical extremist groups that have gained a foothold in Afghanistan have intensified their actions in neighboring republics. The situation in the Central Asian region has prerequisites for further aggravation. At the same time, the main threat comes from numerous radical extremist groups entrenched in Afghanistan, which have intensified actions in neighboring republics to promote their ideas," Shoigu said.
According to him, "the probability of infiltration of gangs of various international terrorist organizations, such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan, is increasing."
"This requires us to clearly coordinate and step up efforts to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism, develop measures to stabilize the situation in the region," Shoigu said, noting the importance of keeping Afghanistan on the SCO agenda.
"Without comprehensive international and regional assistance, it will be difficult for this country to cope with the challenges alone," he stated.
At the same time, S. Shoigu noted that "NATO countries, following the results of their 20-year presence on Afghan soil and subsequent rapid withdrawal, bear the greatest responsibility for the situation there." "They should take on the main financial costs of post–conflict reconstruction," he said.
"The United States and its allies, under the pretext of helping in the fight against terrorism, are trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia. We regard requests to the countries of the region to deploy military infrastructure as a direct threat to stability in the SCO space," Shoigu said.
The Defense Minister said in his speech that Russia is increasing the combat readiness of its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan against the background of attempts by the United States and its allies to restore their military presence in Central Asia.
"For our part," he said, "we are increasing the combat readiness of Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as other forces responding to possible challenges."
Speaking about the tasks, the solution of which is aimed at modernizing the work of the SCO, including mechanisms for responding to challenges and threats, the head of the Russian military department stated the need to develop within the framework of the SCO a mechanism for exchanging information in the field of military security, to develop cooperation with an emphasis on joint exercises.
According to the minister, the expert working group at the SCO CFR has developed a draft agreement on the organization of information exchange between the defense departments of the SCO countries and its protection, which will serve as the basis for such cooperation.
"I propose to speed up its coordination in the states," Shoigu said.
He called deepening military cooperation with an emphasis on conducting joint exercises and other combat training activities another task.
"To work out on them the issues of countering new methods and techniques used by terrorist organizations," S. Shoigu said, noting that the Russian military is ready to share their combat experience.
Speaking about the need to expand forms of interaction, he mentioned the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the fight against them, information and biological security among the promising areas.
"It is also worth considering the realization of the organization's potential in the field of peacekeeping," Shoigu said.
He also stated the need to develop partnerships with other regional integration associations, primarily with the CSTO and the CIS.
"To invite them, as well as representatives of friendly countries to participate in certain SCO events. Such an approach will help spread the "Shanghai spirit" among the world community," Shoigu said.
According to him, in the context of the imbalance of global and regional security systems, the urgency of strengthening cooperation within the SCO as a universal structure upholding the principles of multipolarity based on the norms of international law is increasing.
"Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the stability of our Organization in the context of attempts by external forces to undermine its cohesion, provoke internal crises in the Member states," Shoigu said.
He noted that "it is important to consistently implement the agreements reached at the highest level on the modernization of the SCO, including mechanisms for responding to challenges and threats."
"Maintaining peace and security should remain a key priority," the Russian Defense Minister said, concluding his speech at a meeting of the heads of the defense ministries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries.