SOCHI, Russia — Premier Li Keqiang on Dec 1 urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries to approve an anti-extremism treaty at an early date to better safeguard regional security.

The SCO members should speed up the process in their respective country to have the document approved and taken effect as soon as possible, Premier Li said when attending the 16th SCO prime ministers’ meeting, which was held on Nov 30 and Dec 1 in Russia’s coastal city of Sochi.

The SCO anti-extremism treaty was signed by eight member countries in June’s Astana summit in Kazakhstan, but it will come into force with approvals in the member countries, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

The document, which plays an exemplary role for international anti-extremism cooperation, shows the region’s decisive resolution in the fight against the “three evil forces,” namely terrorism, extremism and separatism, Premier Li said.

Security is the basic foundation for development and meets the expectations of people, he said, calling for further regional security cooperation under the common, all-around, cooperative and sustainable security concept.

In order to prevent the backflow of terror groups, the SCO members should promote security cooperative mechanism, deepen cooperation in the fields of information exchanges, training and security protection in large-scale events, he said.

He also suggested the establishment of a regional center to address security challenges and threats, and to augment cooperation in drug control and fighting cross-border crimes.

The SCO meeting is the first of its kind after the organization’s membership expansion in June to include India and Pakistan.