Related: Member states pledge to make SCO greater player on world stage

    SHANGHAI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries met in Shanghai on Monday to prepare for the SCO summit to be held in city in mid June.

    "The meeting was pragmatic and constructive," Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told reporters after the meeting.

    A press release from China's Foreign Ministry said the six foreign ministers - Li, Kasymzhomart Kemelevich Tokayev from Kazakhstan, Alikbek Jekshenkulov from Kyrgyzstan, Sergei Lavrov from Russia, Talbak Nazarov from Tajikistan and Elyar Ganiev from Uzbekistan - signed a series of resolutions.

    "The upcoming summit will have a significant impact on the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We agree to improve exchanges and cooperation to make sure that the upcoming summit will be a complete success," Li said.

    The ministers also discussed organization construction and ratified a statute on dispatching observers to observe presidential and/or parliamentary elections and national referendums of member states.

    Meanwhile, the ministers also exchanged ideas on key international issues and pledged to remain concerted. They agreed to make full use of the consultation mechanism between foreign ministries to jointly cope with the changing regional and international situation, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

    "Facing all the opportunities and challenges, the member countries should improve pragmatic cooperation to achieve common security, development and prosperity with collective wisdom and strength," Li said.

    On the sidelines of the annual meeting, Li held bilateral talks with his counterparts of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

    China's Foreign Ministry said Li told his counterparts that China hoped to improve mutual support with the three countries on the key issues concerning independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    Li also said that China wished to maintain high-level exchanges with the countries, deepen political trust and expand cooperation in economy and culture.

    The three foreign ministers reiterated their firm adherence tothe one-China policy, saying that they supported China's efforts in national reunification and opposed "Taiwan independence".

    The SCO was established five years ago on June 15 in Shanghai.So far it has four observers: Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India. Enditem

The annual meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is held at the Shanghai International Conference Center in Shanghai, east China, on May 15, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

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