The security of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) remains a priority in the organization's work, and the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure will be transformed to fulfill this task, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, Paralel.Az reports citing Sputnik International.

"Of course, one of the priorities in the SCO's activities has been and remains the maintenance of the security of state participants along the perimeter of the external borders. This is exactly what the decisions taken today on the transformation of the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure into a universal center that will respond to the full range of security threats, as well as on the establishment of an anti-drug center in Dushanbe," Putin said at a meeting of the Council of heads of SCO member states in Astana.

The fight against separatism and extremism in the SCO space will also be facilitated by the program of cooperation in this area approved during the organization's summit in Kazakhstan, Putin said.

Due to the active participation of Kazakh colleagues "a really solid package of documents and decisions has been prepared for approval at the current council," Putin added.

"Their implementation will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the role and influence of the SCO. The SCO countries' approaches to key aspects of the global and regional agenda are reflected in the Astana Declaration submitted for approval at the summit. It additionally highlights the commitment of all SCO participants to the formation of a just multipolar world order based on the central role of the United Nations, on international law, and on the desire of sovereign states for mutually beneficial partnership," the Russian president said.