Special Report: Sixth Summit Meeting of SCO
BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- China's leading
newspaper, the People's Daily, on Friday hailed the success of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, saying it concluded with set goals for
closer cooperation to achieve common development among member states.
The newspaper called the meeting a significant one of
unprecedented large scale that had attracted world attention. The heads of state
or representatives of all the member countries and observer countries as well as
related international organizations.United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
sent a message of congratulations for the convening of the summit.
"This fully demonstrated the wide international
influence and vitality of the SCO," the paper says in an editorieal.
The SCO, established five years ago, comprises China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan,
Iran and India are observers of the organization.
When the heads of state of the member countries met
here again to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the SCO, they all expressed
their determination to push forward the development of the organization after a
historic leap forward on the basis of its predecessor -- the "Shanghai Spirit"
which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for
multi-civilizations and pursuit of common development.
The successful experience of the SCO can be condensed
to one point, that is to unswervingly advocate and practice the "Shanghai
Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for cultural
diversity and a desire for common development, says the editorial.
The "Shanghai Spirit," as the most important code of
conduct of the SCO, enriches the theory and practice of contemporary
international relations and embodies the shared aspiration of the international
community for realizing democracy in international relations, it says, adding
the spirit is therefore of vital importance to the international community's
pursuit of a new modelof international relations.
A major achievement of the summit is that all heads
of state reached a consensus that the organization will continue to devote
themselves to the establishment of a new global security architecture of mutual
trust, mutual benefit, equality and mutual respect, says the editorial.
The SCO will seek to settle disputes through
negotiations on the basis of mutual understanding and the widely recognized
principles of international law. The SCO respects the right of all countries to
safeguard national unity and national interests, pursue particular models of
development and formulate domestic and foreign policies independently, and
participate in international affairs on an equal basis. The SCO also respects
and upholds diversity of civilization and development patterns.
The past practice proved that the SCO is a major
power to maintain regional and world peace, stability and prosperity. Yet it
still faces great challenges and heavy tasks in the future, the editorial says.
However, as long as the SCO member states adhere to
the "Shanghai Spirit" to deepen cooperation, the organization will surebring
more benefits to all the people in the region and make greater contribution to
world peace and development. Enditem
