Premier Wen Jiabao left Beijing Friday to attend the sixth Meeting of Prime Ministers of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent from November 2 to 6.

Wen was invited by Uzbekistani Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev, Turkmenistani President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.

During the five-day tour, Wen will also pay official visits to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus and Russia. Besides, he will attend the 12th regular meeting between the prime ministers of China and Russia, and the closing ceremony of the "Year of China" in Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2007)