Leaders attending the fourth summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan vowed
Thursday to enhance joint efforts to safeguard regional peace and
promote economic development.
Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed that the SCO focus its
attention on security and economic issues.
Speaking at a press conference following the 2004 summit meeting
of the SCO, Hu said that practical cooperation will keep the SCO
full of vitality as it brings concrete opportunities to its members
and their people.
The Tashkent Declaration signed by the presidents of the six
members Thursday says the SCO is entering a new stage of full-range
cooperation.
"To realize that target, we must jointly fight the 'three
forces' of terrorism, separatism and extremism, deal with
transnational threats and curb drug smuggling to maintain national
security and social stability of the SCO members," Hu said.
Security has been a priority issue of the SCO that was founded
by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
in 2001.
At the current meeting, the six countries agreed on joint
efforts to fight illegal drug dealing.
Hu stressed that the SCO should also focus its attention on
economic cooperation among members.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the future development of
SCO depends on the members working together particularly in
economic issues.
Enjoying adjacent boundaries and faced with similar problems,
the SCO countries could tackle the potential for economic and
trading cooperation together, he said.
The SCO has decided to establish five specialized working groups
dealing with e-commerce, customs, quality inspection, investment
promotion and transportation.
Hu said the five groups should start to work as soon as possible
and put forward proposals for closer economic cooperation between
the members.
Other documents signed by the SCO leaders include a convention
on SCO privilege and exemption, and agreements on combating the
trafficking of illegal narcotics. They also agreed on host
countries for an SCO Secretariat and regional anti-terrorism
center, officials said.
These documents would set legal foundation for SCO's
development, helping it become a real international organization,
said Uzbek President Karimov at the press conference.
Invited by Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov as a
special guest, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also attended the
summit.
The SCO formally launched its regional anti-terrorist body
Thursday morning, hours before the summit meeting.
According to the SCO, the prime objectives and functions of the
Regional Anti-terrorist Structure are:
l
Maintaining working contacts with main administrative bodies of SCO
member states and strengthening coordination with international
organizations on matters of combating the "three evil forces" of
terrorism, separatism and extremism;
l
Participating in preparing drafts of international legal documents
on matters of combating the "three evil forces," taking measures to
establish -- together with UN Security Council and its
anti-terrorist committee, and international and regional
organizations -- a mechanism of effective regulation of global
challenges and threats;
l
Gathering and analyzing information provided by member states on
matters concerning the fight against the "three evil forces,"
creating an anti-terrorism database and presenting proposals for
promoting cooperation within the SCO in the struggle against the
"three evil forces;"
l
Preparing and holding research conferences to exchange experiences
on combating the "three evil forces."
The SCO has accepted Mongolia as an observer under a decision
made by the heads of state of the six members Thursday.
Mongolian External Relations Minister Luvsangiin Erdenechuluun,
who participated in the summit meeting as a special envoy of
Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy, formally made the request
to join the SCO on behalf of the president.
(China Daily June 18, 2004)