Dear Mr. Li Hui, Assistant to Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, 
Dear Ambassadors and Heads of missions of international organisations,
Dear Mr. Liu Dawei, Vice President of the Chinese Artists Association,
Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends,

    Today we have gathered to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretariat. Exactly two years ago a permanent executive body ¨C the headquarters of our Organisation was launched here in Beijing, in the presence of Foreign Ministers of six SCO member states.

    During these years, with the support of all the member states and strenuous efforts of the Secretariat staff, we have managed not only to finalise general administrative and organisational work but also to lend it a dynamic and coordinated character. Now the Secretariat has become a harmonious and united team of committed colleagues aimed at implementing decisions of the SCO senior organs and providing comprehensive support for various activities within the Organisation¡¯s framework. We are pleased to share the SCO¡¯s success, to witness the growth of its international prestige, the strengthening of cooperation among its member states on foreign policy, economy and culture, as well as on fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism. We feel particularly responsible for forging ties with Mongolia, India, Iran and Pakistan, recently accepted as SCO observers.

    I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that we have entered the year of the fifth anniversary of the SCO and of holding in June a jubilee summit in Shanghai. This makes it imperative for the Secretariat to make new vigorous efforts to justify high confidence credited to us by the leaders of the member states.

    I am pleased to note that apart from diplomats, scholars, economists and lawyers there are senior representatives from the Chinese Artists Association, painters and fine arts researchers, present here tonight as well. With their kind assistance we have managed to put on the exhibition of paintings by artists from the Shandong province. Thank you very much for this!

    Our thanks to all present here for your attention and support of the Secretariat¡¯s efforts. From the bottom of my heart I congratulate you on the New Year of 2006 and the forthcoming Spring Festival.