SCO expected to allow more countries to join
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The upcoming Tashkent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is expected to approve a regulation allowing more countries to join the organization, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Friday.
Cheng Guoping, the Assistant Foreign Minister, told a press conference that the document now was under discussion by all SCO member states.
"Approving this regulation is the first step in forming the basis for expanding SCO membership," Cheng said, noting that the regulation would become a cornerstone of the organization's rules on membership expansion.
The regulation came after many rounds of consultations over the past two years.
Besides the regulation, Cheng said another important document of the organization's procedure rules would also be submitted for approval at the Tashkent summit on June 11.
The procedure rules were made by the SCO member states to further enhance efficiency and improve the internal mechanisms of the organization.
At the invitation of Uzbek President Islam Karimovm, Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan and attend the annual SCO summit in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent from June 9-11.
With a focus on unity and cooperation, maintaining stability and pursuing common development -- the Tashkent summit aims to promote good-neighborly friendship and cooperation, further strengthen political mutual trust, and deepen cooperation in security, economy, culture and other fields between member states.
Playing a bigger role in strengthening regional security and stability and promoting regional harmonious development, is also an aim of the SCO and will also be discussed at the summit.
In addition to heads of the SCO member states, representatives from the observer countries, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Community and the Collective Security Treaty Organization will also attend the meeting.
"The attendance shows the rising cohesion and influence of the SCO," Cheng said.
During the summit, the heads of states will hold meetings or talks on SCO development, bilateral relations and other international and regional issues of common concern, and some documents will be signed.
The summit will focus on further deepening cooperation in politics, security, economy and culture, and expanding the bloc's foreign relations. The leaders from different nations will focus on fighting the "three evil forces," safeguarding security and stability, and increasing pragmatic cooperation.
The summit will issue a declaration to elaborate the SCO member states' joint stances on international and regional issues.
"I believe with joint efforts of all parties, the Tashkent summit will be a success, and another great event in the history of the SCO," Cheng said.
Founded in 2001 in Shanghai, the SCO includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and covers an area of more than 30 million square km with a population of about 1.5 billion. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India have become observer states since the SCO created an observer mechanism in 2004.
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