Carry on the Silk Road Spirit

SCO members will step up joint efforts to facilitate common development, regional security and people-to-people exchanges

The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization adopted the Bishkek Declaration at their summit in Kyrgyzstan on Friday. The declaration affirms the commitment of the SCO member states to deepen their political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, and to uphold the principles of good-neighborliness and mutual benefit.

The 13th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sept 13, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

An important achievement of the summit was the framework to implement the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation that the leaders approved. The treaty, inked by the SCO members in 2007, is of great significance, for it not only governs relations among SCO member states, it also creates a solid legal basis for the bloc's future development. The introduction of a framework to implement the treaty was essential for the SCO members to cement political mutual trust and conduct in-depth pragmatic cooperation.

The top priorities of the SCO are to unite to effectively deal with various regional threats and challenges and ensure sustainable development of the regional economy. Confronted with the complicated international situation and increasingly severe regional security challenges, the SCO faces an arduous task to safeguard regional security. The leaders of the SCO members agreed to actively take targeted measures to fight the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes, and jointly safeguard regional and global security.

In addition, the SCO members adopted common positions on Afghanistan and Syria. The heads of state called on the international community to create conditions for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan at an early date and support the United Nations to play a leading role in the country's reconstruction.