Kazakh parliament ratifies SCO convention

ASTANA, November 29 (RIA Novosti) - The parliament of Kazakhstan ratified two documents Tuesday that will provide immunity to officials working within one of the biggest regional security organizations and ensure information security in the fight against terrorism.

According to Askar Shakirov, Kazakhstan's deputy foreign minister, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) provides diplomatic benefits to experts and representatives of the six member countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China - as well as their families.

The convention was drafted in accordance with the SCO Charter and takes the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations as its basis. The document has also been ratified by Russia, China and Uzbekistan.

Vladimir Bozhko, the deputy chairman of the national security committee, said the second document, an agreement on protecting classified information within the SCO Regional Antiterrorism Structure, was designed to improve interaction among member countries.

"The agreement on the protection of secret information within the SCO Regional Antiterrorism Structure aims to enhance cooperation among the competent SCO bodies to protect classified information in connection with its potential unsanctioned distribution," Bozhko said.

The documents have been sent to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his signature.