Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao raised a four-point proposal in Tashkent on Friday at a prime ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), aiming to lift the regional organization's cooperation to new heights.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao raised a four-point proposal in Taqshkent Friday at a prime ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), aiming to lift the regional organization's cooperation to new heights. 

Wen, who arrived in Tashkent  on Friday for a two-day official visit and the sixth Meeting of Prime Ministers of the SCO Member States, said no single country can address the issue of development alone in today's complicated world and regional situation.

The proposal includes the following points:

Firstly, the coordination of law, regulations and policies should be enhanced, and the trade and investment environment should be gradually improved.

After several years of efforts by the SCO member states, favorable conditions should be created for cooperation among enterprises from SCO members with regard to customs formalities, quality control, transport and investment, he said.

The prime ministers meeting will sign an agreement on customs mutual assistance, which moves one more step closer to that goal, Wen said.

It is of important significance for member states to sign the agreement on multilateral protection and mutual investment, Wen said, hoping that the negotiation on the agreement should be started as early as possible.

Secondly, the cooperation mechanism of the SCO member states should be established and further improved, and new fields of cooperation should be explored in a step by step way, focusing on prioritized matters.

Wen proposed to study the feasibility of launching agricultural cooperation, so as to work jointly on the development of agricultural technology, information exchange and the processing of farm products.

China is willing to hold the first senior officials meeting on agriculture within this year, Wen said, adding that all member states are welcomed to participate in the meeting.

He also pointed out that it is right time to start scientific and technological cooperation in general and proposed that related ministries and enterprises work together on scientific and technological research, personnel training and commercialization of research achievements.

Thirdly, the network projects in some prioritized fields should be carried out, and the exemplary projects agreed upon by all member states should be started at an earlier date.

At present, the projects on building road, telecom and electricity networks among the SCO member states are being implemented, Wen said.

The Chinese premier hoped that the selection of the exemplary projects in fields such as energy, transport and telecom should be stepped up.

Fourthly, efforts should be made to enhance the study and planning of economic relations as well as information exchange among member states.

Experts from member states should begin drafting the report on the SCO's investment environment as soon as possible, and study how to provide assistance for exchanges and cooperation between enterprises, especially the medium- and small-sized ones, Wen said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2007)