The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said on Friday that it supports its member countries to strengthen cooperation with the organization's observer countries and dialogue partners.

The organization supports participation of its observer countries and dialogue partners in the SCO activities by "absorbing their huge potential, resources and markets," the organization said in a press release after a summit meeting.

The SCO welcomes a memorandum granting Belarus and Sri Lanka the status of dialogue partners of the organization, which groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran are observers of the organization.

"The member countries believe that efforts to draft laws and regulations regarding the organization's expansion should be continued," says the press release.

All member countries agreed to conduct close and mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework of the SCO and will strive to turn the SCO into an efficient mechanism in safeguarding security, stability and prosperity of the region, and the world at large.

The SCO member countries will enhance anti-terrorism cooperation with its observers, and actively join regional anti-terrorism cooperation, the press release says.

The SCO also expressed its satisfaction with the launch of the establishment of a cooperation mechanism on fighting drugs.

The SCO said in the press release that staving off the effects of the global financial crisis and securing a sustainable development of the member countries' economies through coordinated actions are of primary concern of the organization.

The member countries' timely measures to stabilize their economies and financial systems will help improve their anti-crisis capability and promote regional economic cooperation.

The SCO member countries highly praise their security cooperation under the organization's framework for large international events, and agreed to apply the successful model to its observers.

The next SCO summit will be held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, in June, 2011.

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