SCO releases joint communique to further cooperation
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The eighth prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states released a joint communique to further the cooperation among the member states.
The meeting, held in the Great Hall of the People, was chaired by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and attended by his counterparts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives from the SCO observer nations and Afghanistan.
Wen said the joint communique reiterated that the SCO member states would carry out active cooperations in economic and trade, resources, agriculture, transportation, culture, environment protection, etc.
He also stressed that further cooperation would sharpen the competitive edge of member states and enhance the capability in preventing risks.
Wen pointed out that confidence, determination and perseverance are the source for member states to shake off crisis and overcome difficulty. Only by continuing the cooperation momentum, can the regional stability and common prosperity be achieved.
The premiers at the meeting agreed in the joint communique that the financial cooperation should be deepened. The financial sectors of the member states should enhance the information exchange to tackle the global financial crisis.
The member states will also carry on research on the meetings of financial ministers and heads of central banks. The setup of the SCO special bank account was also discussed.
The premiers urged to take proper measures to make more effective use of the cross-border transportation potential of member states and improve the legal basis of the transportation cooperation.
They agreed in the joint communique to launch as soon as possible two example projects of "SCO information super highway" and "cross-border digital cooperation by using digital signatures".
The premiers reached the consensus to speed up the preparation work for the first meeting of agricultural ministers of member states and the research on the draft of the SCO member states agricultural cooperation agreement.
The joint communique stressed the cooperation in customs through simplifying trade procedures, increasing the custom clearance capability as well as improving the infrastructure construction.
They agreed to solve the problems of products quality and security of the regional trade to pave a more convenient way for the commodity circulation among the member states.
The premiers reached consensus to make joint efforts to upgrade the disaster relief level in an effort to better cope with disasters.
Concerning the educational cooperation, the premiers vowed to continue to launch the forum of heads of higher education institute and the "education week" of the member states.
The joint communique also emphasized the significance of establishing the partnership among medical institutions of the member states and the joint prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
The next prime ministers' meeting of the SCO member states is to be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2010.
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