Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Interior Ministers’ meeting, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

In a significant diplomatic development, Minister Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, signed multiple agreements to bolster security cooperation. The pacts focus on three core areas: Enhancing collaboration to curb illegal immigration, strengthening mutual cooperation for the repatriation of citizens residing illegally in both countries and increasing joint efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and prevent drug-related crimes.

During his meeting with Tajikistan’s Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, the discussion centred on the volatile security situation in the region. Both ministers expressed grave concern over the presence of terrorist training camps and the surge in narcotics production within Afghanistan.

They highlighted that around 25 terrorist organisations are currently operating from Afghan soil, posing a direct threat to regional stability.

Minister Naqvi also engaged with his regional counterparts to establish institutional frameworks for long-term cooperation.

In meeting with Minister of the Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan Major General Aziz Tashpulatov, the two sides discussed joint training programmes and intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies. It was agreed that a dedicated working group will be formed to streamline cooperation between the two interior ministries.

Minister Naqvi also met with Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Niiazbekov Ulan Omukanovich, where both sides agreed to deepen collaboration in areas of mutual interest. During the meeting, Naqvi congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and commended the host nation for its excellent arrangements for the SCO summit.

In talks with Kazakhstan’s Yerzhan Sadenov, the two ministers reached a consensus on intensifying efforts to tackle illegal immigration. Similar to the agreement with Uzbekistan, both sides decided to establish a formal working group to foster closer ministerial ties.