Special report: President Hu visits 3 nations, attends
SCO Summit
DUSHANBE, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),
at the conclusion of a summit in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe Thursday, issued
a joint communiqu¨¦ on international affairs and the regional situation.
The SCO, an inter-governmental organization founded in Shanghai in 2001,
groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
During the one-day summit, the heads of state of the six member nations
exchanged views on international and regional affairs.
Representatives from the bloc's observers, namely Iran, India, Mongolia and
Pakistan, and international organizations also attended the meeting.
RESPONSE TO NEW THREATS, CHALLENGES
In the joint communiqu¨¦, the heads of state stressed that the Treaty on
Long-term Good-neighborly Relations, Friendship and Cooperation among the SCO
members, signed in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek last year, is of great
significance in strengthening cooperation in coping with new challenges and
threats, cementing world peace and security, and safeguarding global and
regional stability.
The fulfillment of the treaty will help improve the socioeconomic situation
and deepen the regional integration within the organization, said the
communiqu¨¦.
The heads of state pointed out that the regional anti-terrorism agency, as
an effective mechanism coordinating cooperation among authorities of the SCO
members and providing guarantees for information analysis, is more and more
active in carrying out its tasks.
They praised the smooth implementation of a three-year cooperation outline
on the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
SCO members' joint military exercises, such as the anti-terror drill
code-named "Peace Mission-2007" in Russia, have helped improve the
organization's anti-terror capabilities and will continue to be conducted.
The member nations will soon discuss the possibility of a meeting of public
security and interior ministers at the beginning of next year.
The heads of state also expressed concern over the possibility that modern
technologies on the information telecommunication may be used to sabotage
international stability and security and cause threats.
A team of experts on international information security have achieved
fruitful results in implementing an SCO action plan passed last year.
It is necessary to work out an inter-governmental accord on the
international information security within the organization, so as to establish a
legal basis for SCO members' cooperation in this field.
On the fight against drug trafficking, the heads of state called on SCO
members to fulfill an agreement on their cooperation in this area.
They ordered chiefs of SCO members' anti-drug agencies to hold a special
meeting in the first half of next year, so as to discuss the establishment of an
anti-drug mechanism within the organization and work out a strategy and plans on
combating the trafficking of drugs from Afghanistan.
On SCO members' cooperation in this field, the heads of state emphasized
the role of a liaison group between the organization and Afghanistan.
ON PROMOTION OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
The SCO members signed treaties on the holding of the anti-terrorism drill,
the crackdown on illegal trafficking of arms, ammunition and explosives. They
also signed a memorandum on the partnership between SCO Bank Syndicate and
European and Asian Development Bank.
On the promotion of international exchanges, the leaders agreed to boost
SCO's cooperation with observers -- India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan -- by
taking their interests into considerations.
The SCO leaders also approved the SCO Dialogue Partnership Protocol,
creating the basis for mutually-beneficial cooperation with other countries and
international organizations.
The leaders also decided to set up a special expert team to consider the
issues related to the expansion of the organization.
ON TRADE, ECONOMIC COOPERATION
According to the leaders, trade and economic cooperation, including
facilitation of investment, transportation, modern telecommunication, maintained
good momentum of development.
They stressed the need to accelerate facilitation of the investment
environment and encourage enterprises to carry out macro-joint economic projects
by making greater use of the potential of its Entrepreneurs' Committee and the
Bank Syndicate. They also emphasized the importance of cooperation in the field
of customs in order to promote the development of pragmatic partnership within
the framework of the organization.
The leaders are satisfied with the initiation of agricultural dialogue
within the bloc. They stressed that cooperation in the field of people-to-people
exchange is key to consolidating and expanding the good-neighborly relations and
mutual understanding among the peoples of SCO members and is of great
significance. They are willing to promote exchanges between legislative
departments of the SCO members.
The leaders said that the cooperation on public health within the framework
of the organization, including the prevention and treatment of infectious
diseases, is of key importance to the sustainable development of the regional
economy and welfare of its people.
They agreed to further cooperation in education, science and technology as
well as cultural exchanges and exchanges between youth, in order to promote
mutual understanding and friendship among peoples of SCO member countries.
The leaders said ecological cooperation is developing smoothly and it is
important to formulate a cooperation plan in this regard. They are also
satisfied with the cooperation among emergency disaster-relief departments and
consider it necessary to set up a disaster-relief center within the bloc.
The next SCO summit will be held in Yekaterinburg in 2009 with Russia as
the chair country.
