Iran ready for joint naval drills with SCO members
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani expressed the country’s readiness to stage joint naval exercises with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
He also added that Iran is ready to play a more active role in the SCO, exchanging security intelligence in the fight against terrorism, sharing experiences in the battle against all forms of terrorism, responding to natural disasters, and dealing with pandemics.
The Iranian general made the comments in a meeting attended by the SCO defense ministers, held in New Delhi on Friday, Tasnim news agency reported.
Brigadier General Ashtiani reiterated in his speech that Iran’s defense doctrine has a fixed message, which is peace, stability, friendship, and security for all neighboring countries, the region, and the whole world.
“As a result, we are seriously seeking today to activate multilateral defense diplomacy and have an active engagement in regional and international security arrangements,” the Iranian defense minister added.
Highlighting the significance of plans to ensure the development, prosperity, and security of the SCO members, General Ashtiani proposed the “Shanghai Maritime Security Belt” mechanism.
The mechanism needs the participation of the armed forces of all SCO member states in order to protect the security of maritime routes and ensure the safety of global trade with collective efforts.
Considering the emergence of new threats, it is imperative that the SCO makes the necessary long-term arrangements and sets up appropriate structures in the “cyber defense” and “cognitive defense” sections, the Iranian minister stressed.
NATO seeks unipolar world
Moreover, Brigadier General Ashtiani said that NATO and the West are trying to create a unipolar world, while urging SCO to play a bigger role in creating a new world order.
He added that the expansionist policies of the West and NATO have accelerated in a bid to revive the unipolar world, according to Mehr news agency.
“The West and NATO’s actions in connection with the Ukraine crisis are signs of this fact,” the Iranian minister said, continuing that proxy wars and terrorism are means in the hands of some big powers who seek domination.
“The principles of the arms control system, non-proliferation, and international treaties are under serious threat,” the Iranian minister said.
Ashtiani went on to note that Iran seeks a world order based on the people’s participation.
The Iranian defense minister, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, Russia’s Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistan’s Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, and Kazakhstan’s Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov were among the dignitaries attending the meeting in Delhi, chaired by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
The meeting focused on pressing regional security challenges as well as other related issues.