Five suspects arrested and two planes seized during the joint action day
The Hague, 16 September 2022
Supported by Eurojust and Europol, judicial and law enforcement authorities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and the United States dismantled a criminal network involved in migrant smuggling, document fraud and money laundering.
Up to EUR 20 000 for a place in private aircraft
The migrants, mainly Iraqi and Iranian of Kurdish origin, boarded private aircrafts in TĂŒrkiye carrying false diplomatic passports. However, the official destinations of the trips (usually the Caribbean) were never reached. During the stopovers at different European airports, including in Austria, France and Germany, the migrants left the plane, disposed of their false passports and systematically applied for asylum. The suspects charged up to EUR 20 000 per smuggled person.
It is believed that, between October and December 2020, at least five smuggling operations took place in five different European countries. In addition, several plans were made to carry out other smuggling operations. In addition to migrant smuggling and forging identity documents, the organised crime group is also suspected of issuing false checks and scamming airlines in an attempt to build its own fleet. The suspects also allegedly defrauded hotels by not paying the invoices.
The action day on 13 September led to:
5 arrests (2 in Belgium and 3 in Italy)Â
7 house searches (1 in Belgium and 6 in Italy)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Seizures of 2 aircrafts, EUR 80 000 EUR cash, 1 highâend car, electronic equipment and equipment to forge ID documents (card printers, stamps, holograms and white plastic cards)Â Â
EUR 173 000 EUR frozen in Italy
Eurojust supported the authorities involved with the setting up and funding of a joint investigation team (JIT) in June 2021. The Agency also hosted four coordination meetings to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts.
Europol prioritised the case at an early stage, assigning a dedicated analyst and specialist to support the national investigations to identify the members of the criminal network and to dismantle it. Europol facilitated the operational information exchange and provided analytical and financial support. On the action day, Europol activated a Virtual Command Post to facilitate the information exchange in real time. Europol also deployed three analysts â one to Belgium and two to Italy â to cross-check operational information against Europolâs databases and thus provided further investigative leads to the participating national law enforcement authorities.
Law enforcement authorities involved:
Austria: Criminal Intelligence Service Austria (Bundeskriminalamt), Provincial CID of Tyrol (Landeskriminalamt Tirol) and Schwechat City Command of the Federal Police (Stadtpolizeikommando Schwechat)
France: French Border Police (OCRIEST/Police Aux FrontiĂšres)
Germany: German Federal Police Munich Airport
Italy: National Police (Polizia di Stato: Servizio Centrale Operativo, Squadra Mobile di Bari e Roma, Servizio di Polizia Scientifica and Ufficio di Polizia di Frontiera di Bari)
United States: U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service.
Judicial authorities involved:
Austria: Public Prosecutor Offices of Korneuburg
Belgium: Examining Magistrate Brussels, Federal Prosecutorâs Office
His Excellency Mr. JoĆŸef Drofenik is the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Ambassador Drofenik presented credentials to His Majesty the King of the Netherlands on 14 September 2022. On 19 September 2022, he presented credentials to the Director-General of OPCW.
Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Drofenik served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia (2020-2022), Ambassador of Slovenia to India (2015-2019), accredited also for Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal (2016-2019), National Coordinator for OECD (2014-2015), Ambassador of Slovenia to Poland (2005-2009).
Decorations: 3rd class – Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Born in 1959, Mr. Drofenik holds a B.A. in Economics, International Economic Relations from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He speaks English, Spanish, Serbian, and Polish.
Ambassador Drofenik is married and has two children.
By Dr. Daniyar Kurbanov, Acting Director of the Center for International Relations Studies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The 22nd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held on September 15-16 this year in Samarkand, and will be the largest diplomatic event of the year in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region. The heads of states and governments of all eight SCO members, three observer states, leaders of invited countries and 10 international organizations are expected to take part in the summit.
The expectations associated with the summit are primarily conditioned by the growing authority, political weight, economic potential and international attractiveness of the Organization.
Today the SCO is not just the largest regional organization occupying 60% of the territory of Eurasia with approximately half of the world’s population.
First of all, in more than 20 years of its existence, it has become an important element of the modern international system and the security maintenance in the Eurasian space. The huge potential of economic cooperation between the countries of the Organization is related to the fact that its total GDP already accounts for about 25% of the global GDP and may increase up to 35-40% by 2030.
The development of mutual trade and investments by member states can also contribute to the realization of their unique opportunities to expand the transport interconnectedness of Eurasia, and create new transport corridors in the direction of South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The speed up of these processes will be stimulated by digital transformation, the active introduction of the latest technologies and the overall expansion of scientific, technological, educational and cultural-humanitarian contacts.
Uzbekistan during its presidency, in cooperation with other member states, has done much to draw attention to the activities of the SCO both in member states and globally.
Tashkent’s dynamic agenda (more than 80 events), innovative and result-oriented style of activities have significantly improved the image of the Organization as a living structure actively seeking ways to adapt to new international realities and improve its activities and enhance the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation.
Such issues as the development of industrial and technological cooperation, digital economy, intraregional trade and transport interconnectedness, security and protection against cyber threats were the focus of Uzbekistan’s presidency.
Uzbekistan’s presidency has also made it possible to demonstrate both our country’s actively implemented program of large-scale reforms and innovative foreign policy, especially the effectiveness of efforts to promote regional cooperation in Central Asia and expand the region’s interaction with leading countries and associations.
These issues will, we think, also be in the focus of the summit of the Shanghai Organization, since our region is not just the geographical core of the SCO, linking the Eurasian part of the Shanghai Group with the South Asian part. Not less important, that a more cohesive and cooperative Central Asia is becoming an important factor in strengthening interaction among member states, opening up new opportunities to promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
Solid results of Uzbekistan’s presidency and the large package of agreements to be signed are evidence of the enormous potential of interaction within the SCO. More than 30 documents are expected to be adopted aimed at expanding the Organization’s multifaceted cooperation.
The coordinated approaches of member states on key issues of multilateral cooperation and critical issues of contemporary international relations will be reflected in the final political document of the summit – the Samarkand Declaration.
The adoption of the Comprehensive Plan of Implementation of the Treaty on Long-term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, one of the key documents of the SCO, the accession to which is required for membership of the Organization, will be particularly noteworthy among other major decisions.
The Concept of Cooperation for the Development of connectivity and the Creation of Efficient Transport Corridors, to be adopted at the summit on the initiative of Uzbekistan, is an innovative document aimed at effective use of the huge transport and logistics potential of Eurasia. Its practical implementation will make it possible to form in the SCO region a diversified network of transport corridors, including such routes as Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China and Termez-Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railroads and North-South ITC.
The program of stimulating industrial cooperation, also put forward by Tashkent, is designed to push up the industrial development of member states, increase mutual industrial investments and the formation of interregional supply chains in the SCO area.
A number of decisions of the summit will open a new page in the process of expansion of the Shanghai Organization. The most important document is the Memorandum on Iran’s Accession Commitments, which will allow Tehran to become a full member of the organization at the next summit in India.
Besides, a number of Arab countries will receive the status of dialogue partners – relevant memorandums will be signed with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, which will become the first African country – “member of the SCO family. Bahrain’s application for this status is also expected to be approved.
Thus, Iran’s accession to member states and the granting of the status of dialogue partners to Arab countries signal the growing interest of Middle Eastern countries in the Shanghai Group. As the Saudi âArab Newsâ notes, “the SCO has gained enormous traction across Asia. No surprise that a number of countries from the Middle East are lining up to join as dialogue partners, observers and members.”.
This could further intensify political dialogue and practical cooperation between Uzbekistan and Central Asian states with the Arab-Muslim world and such groups as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf or the Arab League.
An important feature of the Samarkand meeting of SCO leaders will also be the high level of diplomatic activity, on the margins of the summit. The leaders of member states and other participants and guests of the summit will hold a number of meetings in bilateral and even trilateral formats to discuss the most important issues of mutual relations. One can say that during these days, Samarkand will become the “diplomatic capital of Eurasia” for a while.
It will be a good opportunity for Uzbekistan to hold intensive diplomatic contacts with partners and official visits of a number of leaders to our country. This will allow to achieve significant progress in political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation with SCO partners, including agreements on the implementation of a number of concrete projects.
In general, we can conclude that the hard work of Uzbek diplomacy during the presidency in SCO, with active participation and support of all member states, has provided a significant boost to interaction in priority areas of multifaceted cooperation. Diplomats of partner nations declare that the upcoming summit will open a new page in the process of development of Shanghai Organization, and allow to achieve tangible results in consolidating its international authority and its role in addressing the issues of security and development in the vast Eurasian space.
The Embassy of Viet Nam in the Netherlands attended the Embassy Festival which taken place at Lange Voorhout, The Hague on September 3, 2022. This is a prestigious cultural event organized annually by the event organization Prooost in collaboration with the city government of The Hague. After 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic, this event was attended by nearly 50 embassies and attracted thousands of visitors. Besides foods, visitors can enjoy music performances, martial arts and traditional costumes from ethnic groups around the world.
The Mayor of The Hague, the HOnorable Jan van Zanen with ASEAN ambassadors.
Vietnam’s pavilion is located in the area of 5 ASEAN countries booth which included Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, creating a highlight of ASEAN’s cohesion. This place is also one of the most crowded areas of the festival, which is visited and supported by a large number of visitors. In particular, the ASEAN culture and cuisine corner was honored to be visited and enjoyed by the Mayor of The Hague, Mr. Jan van Zanen.
Vietnam diplomats with Mrs. Le Thi Hien Anh, spouse of Vietnam’s Ambassador.
Participating in this Festival, in addition to promoting Vietnamese culinary culture through typical dishes such as “bĂĄnh mỳ”, “nem”, the Embassy focused on promoting Vietnamese agricultural products through displayed products, from food and beverages such as coffee, fresh coconut water, mung bean cakes, lotus products (dry lotus seeds, lotus tea, lotus root snacks), spices to environmentally friendly non-food products like straws from grass, bamboo.
In particular, Vietnamese coffee imported and distributed in the Netherlands under Vietnamese brands such as Hoi An Roastery and Real Bean has attracted the attention of visitors. Many visitors enjoyed a cup of European-style coffee with 100% arabica beans or a mix of Arabica and Robusta beans with mostly Arabica ingredients which imported from Viet Nam. Especially, Hoi An Roastery coffee beans grew by farmers in Quang Tri Province, supported by Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) and developed in Dutch market by a Dutch company.
H.E. Mr. Pham Viet Anh, Ambassador of Viet Nam tasting Vietnamese coffee at Embassy Festival.
The group of Vietnamese students in the Netherlands performed a Silk Fan Dance on the background of the music “Beo dat may troi” at one of the three main stages of the Festival, leaving a strong impression on the audience. Many spectators who love Vietnam responded enthusiastically to the performance and lingered to ask for souvenir photos with the dance team.
Mrs. Le Thi Hien Anh, spouse of Vietnam’s Ambassador.
The most noteworthy aspects of Pope Francisâ visit to Kazakhstan might be the missed opportunities.
By Nicole Winfield and Kostya Manenkov
The Diplomat (13.09.2022) – https://bit.ly/3LbbRr6 – Russiaâs war in Ukraine and the Holy Seeâs strained relations with China are the backdrop to Pope Francisâ visit this week to the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where he is ministering to a tiny Catholic community and participating in an interfaith conference aimed at promoting peace and dialogue.
Francis was flying Tuesday to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the state visit portion of the three-day trip. On Wednesday and Thursday, he participates in an interfaith meeting with more than 100 delegations of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto, and other faith groups from 50 countries.
The most noteworthy aspects of Francisâ visit might be missed opportunities: Francis was supposed to have met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on the sidelines of the conference. But Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine, canceled his trip last month.
Francis is also going to be in the Kazakh capital at the same time as Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is making his first foreign visit since the coronavirus pandemic.
Xi is not attending the religious congress. On the popeâs flight to Kazakhstan, Francis was asked about a possible meeting with Xi and replied: âI donât have any news about this. But I am always ready to go to China.â
The 85-year-old pope is about to set off an almost 3,000-mile journey, despite limited mobility
By Luke Coppen
The Pillar (12.09.2022) – https://bit.ly/3qA7ZXd – Pope Francis will set off tomorrow on an almost 3,000-mile journey to a country with an estimated 250,000 Catholics. Why is the 85-year-old pope, whose mobility is limited by leg pain, making a three-day trip to Kazakhstan?
The Pillar takes a look.
Whereâs Kazakhstan, again?
Kazakhstan, the worldâs largest landlocked country, is in Central Asia, the meeting point between Europe and Asia. It borders the geographical giants of Russia and China, as well as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Despite its considerable size, Kazakhstan has a population of just 19 million people.
Around 70% of the population is Muslim. But the Republic of Kazakhstan, as the country is officially known, is a secular state. Roughly a quarter of the population is Christian, mainly Russian Orthodox.
Pope Francis seems to have chosen to visit Kazakhstan for two principal reasons. The first is so he can attend an event known as the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The congress, which aims to strengthen inter-religious ties, has been held in Kazakhstan at three-year intervals since 2003. Francis will be the first pope to attend the gathering, which this year has around 100 participants from 50 countries.
The second reason for the papal trip was a meeting with the Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill. But in late August, the Moscow Patriarchate signaled that the summit was off. Observers suggested that the cancellation was a tit-for-tat move after Pope Francis pulled out of a meeting with Patriarch Kirill scheduled for June in Jerusalem.
(Chinaâs President Xi Jinping is expected to be in Kazakhstan at the same time as Francis, but the chances of a meeting appear slim.)
There are other, lesser reasons for the trip. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Kazakhstan â a significant milestone â and 21 years since John Paul II became the first pope to visit the country.
After reciting the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis asked for prayers ahead of his journey, which will be his 38th outside Italy since his election in 2013.
âIt will be an opportunity to meet many religious representatives and to engage in dialogue as brothers, inspired by the mutual desire for peace, the peace our world thirsts for,â he said, adding: âI ask you all to accompany me with prayer on this pilgrimage of dialogue and peace.â
The âeighth sacramentâ
The Catholic presence in Kazakhstan dates back centuries, but todayâs community was forged in the furnace of 20th-century persecution.
As LâOsservatore Romano wrote in 2001, the year of the first papal visit, âit can be said that the history of the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan resumed in the 20th century when Stalin ordered the deportation to Central Asia of whole peoples of the Catholic tradition. Providence turned a diabolical plan into a missionary event beyond the boldest dreams of even Propaganda Fide or any missionary strategist.â
A list of priests, religious, and lay people imprisoned and exiled in Kazakhstan from the 1920s to the 1940s runs to 32 pages.
Archbishop Tomasz Peta, who is based in the capital Nur-Sultan, told AsiaNews in 2019 that, under Soviet rule, Catholics passed on the faith without priests or churches.
âCatholics created a sort of eighth sacrament: that of the prayer of the rosary,â he said. âThe reason is that the only thing they could do during the persecutions was to baptize their children and pray the rosary. In some ways, the rosary has replaced the lack of the shepherds.â
A new chapter
The only previous papal visit to Kazakhstan took place in 2001, just 11 days after the terror attack on the Twin Towers. The intensive four-day visit by a frail, elderly John Paul II left a deep impression on local Catholics.
At a time when 300,000 people lived in the capital city, an estimated 40,000 people gathered in a main square on Sept. 23, 2001, for a papal Mass.
âWithout exaggerating, I can say that the papal visit opened a new chapter in the history of our Church,â Archbishop Peta commented in 2019.
The first Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held in 2003 and attended by Vatican officials. According to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the event was modeled on John Paul IIâs day of prayer for peace in Assisi in 2002.
Changes
The Catholic community has changed significantly since the first papal visit, according to Archbishop Peta.
âIn general, the number of Catholics has decreased in the past 20 years since the last visit of the pope,â Peta told the Astana Times last month. âBut the Catholic Church has become more international.â
âThirty-twenty years ago, many had the idea that Catholics in Kazakhstan were mostly Germans, Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians â nationalities that traditionally belong to the Catholic Church,â explained the archbishop, who was born in Poland. âToday in Kazakhstan there are dozens of different nationalities in the Catholic Church.â
The Kazakh Church has also emerged in recent years as what the New York Times writer Ross Douthat calls âthe strange core of traditionalist Catholicism.â
One of them was Bishop Athanasius Schneider, a descendant of Black Sea Germans from Odessa, in present-day Ukraine, who has emerged as a leading figure in the traditionalist movement.
The Catholic writer Dan Hitchens noted at the time of the letter that âKazakhstan is not a capital-T Traditionalist country: the Extraordinary Form is not especially widely celebrated. But many practices associated with pre-Vatican II liturgy are common. Reception of the Eucharist on the tongue and kneeling is the norm.â
He quoted a priest in Kazakhstan who described the nationâs Catholics as ârather traditional and conservative.â
âFor us,â the priest said, âit means being faithful to Holy Church, to Catholic teaching, to God.â He underlined that the community had suffered for the faith within living memory.
Political upheaval
Kazakhstan has also seen notable political changes since 2001. Back then, it was led by Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled for three decades before standing down as president in 2019.
The first official act of his successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was to rename the capital city Nur-Sultan in his predecessorâs honor. (It was previously known as Astana.)
Tokayevâs reign has been turbulent. He declared a state of emergency in parts of the country at the start of 2022, following protests against a rise in fuel prices. More than 200 people are believed to have died in the unrest and resulting crackdown, dubbed âBloody January.â At the start of September, Tokayev announced a snap presidential election in the fall.
The Ukraine war has presented a dilemma for the president, given Kazakhstanâs close economic ties to neighboring Russia. Tokayev has declined to recognize separatist republics established in Ukraine with Moscowâs backing. But he hailed the âstrategic partnershipâ between Kazakhstan and Russia during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in August.
The papal visitâs motto is âMessengers of Peace and Unity,â a sign of Francisâ desire that the trip will promote peacemaking and strengthen interfaith ties.
The popeâs presence should also offer encouragement to Catholic minorities â not only in Kazakhstan but also in surrounding countries. Thousands of pilgrims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and even Mongolia are reportedly planning to attend the papal Mass in Nur-Sultan on Sept. 14.
By Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistanâs chairmanship in the SCO has fallen on a dynamic period, fraught with various events and trends â the period of the «historical rift», when one era comes to an end and another begins â thus far unpredictable and unknown.
The modern system of international cooperation, based on the universal principles and norms, begins to falter. One of the main reasons for this is a deep crisis of trust at the global level, which, in turn, provokes a geopolitical confrontation and the risk of reviving the bloc thinking stereotypes. This process of mutual alienation complicates the return of the world economy to its former course of development and the restoration of global supply chains.
The ongoing armed conflicts in different parts of the world destabilize trade and investment flows, exacerbate the problems of ensuring food and energy security.
Along with this, global climate shocks, growing scarcity of natural and water resources, decline in biodiversity, spread of dangerous infectious diseases have exposed the vulnerability of our societies as never before. They lead to destruction of existential common goods, threatening the basis of peopleâs life and reducing sources of income.
In these circumstances, it is obvious that no country alone can hope to avoid or cope with these global risks and challenges.
There is only one way out of the dangerous spiral of problems in an interconnected world where we all live today – through a constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation based on consideration and respect to the interests of everyone. It is exactly at the time of crisis, when all the countries â whether they are large, medium or small by size â must put aside their narrow interests and focus on such mutual interaction, unite and multiply the common efforts and possibilities to counter the threats and challenges to peace, security and sustainable development that are related to each of us.
The effective international cooperation makes the world more stable, predictable and prosperous. This is the most viable, accessible and closest way to solving common problems of our time as well as a universal insurance policy against the future challenges and shocks.
A Model for Successful Regional Cooperation
The international cooperation that lays in the interest of everyone is impossible without multilateral institutions. Despite the certain shortcomings, they continue to serve as the most important agents of interaction between the countries – at the regional and global levels. The international and regional organizations help countries to overcome the differences and strengthen mutual understanding, to develop political and economic cooperation, to expand trade and stimulate cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
These are the goals and objectives that are pursued by one of the youngest multilateral institutions – the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In fact, it is a unique interstate structure that has managed to unite countries with different cultural and civilizational codes, their own foreign policy guidelines and models of national development. In a relatively short historical period, the SCO has come a long way, becoming an integral element of the modern global political and economic world order.
Today, the SCO family is the worldâs largest regional organization, which has united a huge geographical space and about a half of the population of our planet.
The basis for the SCOâs international attractiveness is its non-bloc status, openness, non-targeting against third countries or the international organizations, equality and respect for the sovereignty of all participants, refusal to interfere in the internal affairs, as well as prevention of political confrontation and unhealthy rivalry.
The SCOâs success concept is the promotion of multifaceted cooperation through ensuring regional security.
In fact, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is called upon to become a pole of attraction without dividing lines, in the name of peace, cooperation and progress.
Therefore, the number of states that are ready to cooperate with the SCO is growing every year, and this is especially noticeable in the context of the transformation of the modern system of international and regional relations.
The economic value of the SCO is enhanced by the self-sufficiency of its space, where there are dynamically developing economies of the world with huge human, intellectual and technological potential, and the existence of large volumes of unused natural resources.
Today, the total GDP of the SCO member states has reached about a quarter of the global figure. This is already a very solid contribution to the global sustainable development from a regional organization that has just crossed its 20-year threshold.
In a world with the new challenges and opportunities, the SCO has excellent prospects for transformation and growth, not only through quantitative replenishment, but also through the opening of new strategic vectors. These are transport and connectivity, energy, food and environmental security, innovations, digital transformation and green economy.
Uzbekistanâs Chairmanship: towards Common Success through Joint Development
Accepting responsible mission of Chairmanship in the SCO, the Republic of Uzbekistan has relied on the strategy of advancing the development of the Organization by opening up new horizons for cooperation and launching usage of untapped reserves that each of its members has.
Our slogan is «The SCO is strong if each of us is strong». Implementing this, we have made serious efforts to make the Organization even stronger from the inside and more attractive from the outside to our international partners.
At the platforms of more than eighty major events held during the year, a comprehensive agenda was formed for the SCO â starting from the issues of further expanding cooperation in the security, strengthening transport and economic connectivity and positioning the Organization in the international arena up to the search for new ways and points for development.
All these promising directions of cooperation for the SCO at the new stage of its historical development are reflected in more than thirty conceptual programs, agreements and decisions prepared during our chairmanship period.
I would say even more. Uzbekistanâs chairmanship in the SCO is a logical continuation of an active and open foreign policy course that has been pursued by our country in the last six years. This policy is embodied, above all, in Central Asia, the geographical core of SCO, where positive and irreversible processes of strengthening good-neighborliness and cooperation are now taking place.
All SCO member states are our closest neighbors, friends and strategic partners.
The Chairmanship has given us a good opportunity to further strengthen multilateral collaboration and expand bilateral cooperation with each of them, as well as set new targets for even deeper partnership.
I am full of confidence that it is important and necessary for the SCO to share its success story with Afghanistan. This country is an integral part of the larger SCO space. The Afghan people need good neighbors and their support now more than ever. It is our moral obligation to extend a helping hand, to offer them effective ways of overcoming the years-long crisis by promoting socio-economic growth of the country, its integration into regional and global development processes.
Afghanistan that has played for centuries the role of a buffer in the historical confrontations of global and regional powers, should try on a new peaceful mission of connecting Central and South Asia.
The construction of the trans-Afghan corridor could become a symbol of such mutually beneficial inter-regional cooperation. It is also important to understand that by implementing joint infrastructure projects such as the Termez â Mazar-i-Sharif â Kabul â Peshawar railroad we are not just solving socio-economic, transport and communication problems, but also making a significant contribution to ensuring regional security.
By bringing our positions closer to each other, together we can develop a new SCO agenda for a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Only in this way can we create a truly stable and sustainable SCO space with an indivisible security.
«Samarkand Spirit» – the Embodiment of Cooperation, Mutual Understanding and Friendship
After a three-year pandemic pause that has caused serious disruption in trade, economic and industrial ties, the countries and peoples of the SCO need to communicate directly.
The ancient city of Samarkand, the jewel of the Great Silk Road, is ready to welcome the leaders of fourteen countries with new breakthrough proposals and initiatives designed to serve for good and prosperity of the SCO and each of its members.
There is no doubt that this legendary city will open another chapter of the SCO success story. Glorious historical heritage of Samarkand will contribute to this.
For many centuries, this city has been threading together countries from Europe to China, merging North and South, East and West into a single node.
Historically Samarkand has been a melting pot of ideas and knowledge, that was âcookingâ a common goal of living better, being more successful and becoming happier. And everybody has known that the friendly neighbors are half of your wealth, you yourself are a blessing for them, because you know that cooperation, trade, oeuvre, science, art and the best ideas do good, enrich and bring nations together.
These unique qualities of Samarkand, which today has a modern and dynamically developing infrastructure, turning it into the most suitable and demanded platform for joint discussions, searching for necessary responses to regional and global challenges.
The integrity and interconnectivity of mankind are such that most challenges require joint work not only at the regional level, but also at the global arena.
Relying on the experience of our many years of joint work, we are confident that the Samarkand SCO summit will set an example of how we can launch a new, inclusive dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and constructive cooperation for the sake of common security and prosperity.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Samarkand can become the platform that can unite and reconcile states with different foreign policy priorities.
Historically, the world looked upon from Samarkand has been seen as single and indivisible, rather than fragmented. This is indeed the essence of the unique phenomenon of the «Samarkand spirit», which can serve as the basis for a fundamentally new format of international interaction, including within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The «Samarkand spirit» is designed to naturally complement the very «Shanghai spirit», thanks to which more than 20 years ago our countries decided to create a new and eagerly sought organization.
Therefore, we are confident that in Samarkand we shall witness the birth of a new stage in the life of SCO â the number of its members will grow, and its future agenda will be formed, and this is highly symbolic.
We are full of optimism and are convinced that the decisions of the upcoming summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization will make a feasible contribution to strengthening the dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation both at the regional level and on a global scale.
ByAnvar Nasirov,Director of the International Institute for Central Asia
Active and pragmatic foreign policy, pursued under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, strengthens the role and authority of the country not only in the region, but also on a global scale, and increases its influence on the international process.
Multilateral collaboration with international and regional organizations, in particular, Uzbekistanâs participation in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, is of particular importance.
The transfer of the chairmanship of the Organization to Uzbekistan for 2021-2022 has become a logical continuation of our active and open foreign policy, implemented over the past 6 years.
At Dushanbe SCO Summit 2021, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the most priority areas of chairmanship in the Organization, such as intensifying joint efforts to ensure peace and stability in the SCO space, deepening trade, economic and investment cooperation, expanding transport and communication ties, interaction on poverty reduction, ensuring food security, wide use of the existing potential in healthcare, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and in the fight against climate change.
Over 80 events were held in all areas of cooperation during Uzbekistanâs chairmanship in the SCO.
As a result of large-scale events held at the upcoming summit, it is planned to submit more than 30 documents for signing.
Undoubtedly, one of the main goals of the Samarkand Summit is the issue of further expansion of the SCO family. Within the framework of the Council of Heads of State, a Memorandum is expected to be signed on the Commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to obtain the status of an SCO member.
This will become an important step in the implementation of the decision taken last year to start the process of admitting Iran to full membership.
In addition, a decision will be made to expand the membership of observer countries and partners in the SCO dialogue.
Documents on establishing cooperation between the SCO and several international and regional organizations are expected to be signed at the summit.
Another important document that is being prepared for adoption is the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027.
This strategically important document was developed on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and received the support of all SCO member states.
The draft plan includes cooperation in all areas within the Organization, currently, it contains about 120 events. The main attention is paid to the development of trade and economic relations. Thus, specific measures were defined to further strengthen industrial cooperation, partnership in investment, energy, transport, information and telecommunications, agriculture, customs and other spheres, logistics, as well as the agencies responsible for their implementation.
This Treaty can be compared in importance to the SCO Charter. If the Charter is the âsoulâ of the Organization, its âcompassâ, then the Treaty is the âconscienceâ of the SCO. Each member state is responsible for contributing to its implementation.
This document is aimed at ensuring the correct, rhythmic and stable functioning of the âcompassâ that enables the Organization to stay on the chosen path.
The Charter and the Treaty are the foundation for the political and legal relations of the SCO, determining its philosophy and image for the long term, for the entire period of the existence of the Organization.
The main features of the Treaty are that each provision of the document meets the national interests of all member states, as well as the goals of long-term joint development on the vast expanse of the SCO.
Therefore, the Comprehensive Plan submitted for signing and the specific measures indicated in it will serve the interests of all SCO member states without exception, including Uzbekistan.
SCO â majorregional organization in the world
The total area of ââthe SCO member states is 34 million kmÂČ, which is 60% of the Eurasian continent. The population of the member states is nearly 3 billion people or about half of the worldâs population. The SCO countries account for 20% of the global economy.
By accepting Iran as a full member, the SCO opens the door to the Middle East, which is considered a strategically important region.
It is obvious to everyone that the key to the Organizationâs success is multifaceted cooperation and openness. Therefore, the structure appears as a convenient platform for an open dialogue, and a broad interregional partnership.
Uzbekistan â one of the founders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Uzbekistan is always recognized as one of the leaders in determining the further strategy for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of the SCO.
We consider the SCO as an instrument in the fight against terrorism, extremism, separatism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, as well as an Organization that promotes the development of multifaceted cooperation in trade, economic, transport, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Our country has chaired the Organization three times before. At the initiative of Uzbekistan in 2004, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO was established in Tashkent. The format of meetings of security council secretaries was introduced. A mechanism for granting observer status in the SCO was launched.
At the meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States, held in Tashkent in 2010, the Organization’s rules of procedure and the Regulations on the procedure for admitting new members were adopted.
One of the main results of the Tashkent Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2016 was the signing of memorandums of commitment between India and Pakistan to obtain the status of the SCO member state. This served to strengthen the Organizationâs potential and further enhance its role in the international arena.
Since 2017, our country has become the leading initiator of further developing cooperation within the SCO.
For five years, the President of Uzbekistan has put forward 54 initiatives at the SCO summits to improve the effectiveness of cooperation in political, trade, economic, transport and logistics, innovation and other spheres. 37 of them have been implemented, 17 more are under implementation.
At the Dushanbe Summit, several initiatives put forward by the Uzbek side were adopted â the SCO Green Belt Program, the SCO Interaction Plan on Ensuring International Information Security, the Concept of the SCO Economic Forum, as well as the Regulations on the Tourism and Cultural Capital of the SCO.
As the analysis shows, in terms of ongoing initiatives, Uzbekistan takes a leading position in the SCO. If in past years the Uzbek side was mainly active in security, now it focuses on the need for building up the overall potential through such areas as the economy, transport and logistics, innovative and digital development, cultural and public diplomacy.
The strategy being implemented in the SCO space at the initiative of Uzbekistanâs President is based on such important principles as constructiveness, pragmatism and initiative.
The superiority of Uzbekistanâs foreign policy is expressed in the fact that the initiatives put forward by Tashkent within the framework of the SCO, in particular those aimed at sustainable development of the region, fully meet the national interests of the member countries. Therefore, these initiatives are widely supported by all SCO member states.
Activities carried out under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan on the eve of the summit in Samarkand enriched the activities of the Organization with concrete and effective, new and important projects. We can say that Uzbekistan has withstood another difficult political test with honor.
The results of Uzbekistanâs chairmanship in the SCO will be summed up at the summit, which will be held on September 15-16 in Samarkand.
We are confident that it will become a major political and diplomatic forum and will go down in history as an important step toward the further development of the Organization.
The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral today marks a moment of great sorrow and sadness for millions worldwide.
We deeply felt the death of Her Majesty the Queen who reigned for over 70 years with a great sense of duty, responsibility, total dedication and wisdom.
Her family surrounded her Majesty at Balmoral Castle, and her son Charles II became the King.
With the support of Eurojust, authorities in Finland, Germany, Belgium and Latvia have succeeded in striking a blow against the operators of various fraudulent online investment platforms that have defrauded victims from 11 different countries out of several million euros.
During an action day, two suspects were arrested and 12 locations were searched.
According to the investigation, victims were directed to seemingly reputable online trading platforms in search of offers for lucrative investments. Through these platforms, they were promised enormous profits in a short time by trading in cryptocurrency, foreign exchange or shares.
After being contacted by phone via call centres, email or messenger, the victims transferred sums of money to bank accounts indicated by alleged “brokers”. However, no investment of any kind was seemingly ever made with this money.
The suspects were identified as authorised disposers of the accounts and they are suspected of money laundering activities for the operators of the online trading platforms.
Over one hundred victims from 11 different countries have been identified so far. It is believed that in Germany alone (where more than half of the victims are from), victims have transferred approximately EUR 4.3 million. Of this amount, at least EUR 700 000 has been received in accounts held by the suspects.
In an action day coordinated by Eurojust on 6 September, two suspects were arrested in Belgium. A total of 12 locations were searched.
The case was opened at Eurojust by the Finnish and German authorities in 2021. The Agency actively facilitated the cross-border judicial cooperation between the national authorities involved, including the execution of European Investigation Orders (EIOs), European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) and freezing orders on the basis of the Regulation (EU) 2018/1805. In addition, Eurojust organised five coordination meetings in preparation for the action day.
Europol has been supporting this high-priority case by providing tailored analysis and virtual tracing analysis. In addition, experts from Europolâs European Financial and Economic Crime Centre were deployed to Belgium and Latvia to assist the national authorities with the investigative actions.
The following authorities took part in this investigation:
Finland: National Bureau of Investigation; National Prosecution Authority, Prosecution District of Southern Finland
Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Itzehoe Regional Court, Department for Combating Cybercrime; District Criminal Investigation Office Kiel
Belgium:Â Federal judicial police Antwerp â ECOFIN service, assisted by RCCU under the direction/coordination of the International Legal Assistance Centre (IRC) of the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office and the investigating judge
Latvia: The 3rd Unit of the International Cooperation Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police.
EMPACT tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the European Union. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities. Fraud, economic and financial crimes are among the priorities for the 2021-2025 Policy Cycle.
