Asia-Pacific

SCO summit to be of 'historic significance'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-10 22:18

BEIJING - The upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be a meeting of historic significance as it will help review the institution's development over the past decade and chart a blueprint for the future, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Friday.

Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Heads of state from the six SCO members will gather in Astana of Kazakhstan for a summit to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the SCO's founding Wednesday.

"The SCO, tested by 10 years of time, has grown into a powerful force to safeguard security and stability, as well as to promote peace and development in the region," Yang said in a signed article hailing the summit of the year.

In his article, Yang attributed the birth of the organization to the changing world situation and the member states' willingness to come together for reciprocal cooperation and battle against terrorism, separatism and extremism, which are commonly known as the "three evil forces" and are held as the archenemy threatening the regional security and stability.

Over the past years, SCO members have signed some 100 documents concerning cooperation and set up consultative mechanisms covering various levels and fields, the Chinese foreign minister recounted.

"The SCO has always had crackdown on the 'three evil forces' as one of its major work priorities," said Yang,"We have launched more than 10 joint anti-terror drills over the past decade and worked together to combat drug trafficking and cross-border organized crimes."

The SCO is also committed to economic integration to seek common prosperity in the region and has achieved obvious results in practical cooperation in fields including trade, finance, energy and agriculture, Yang said.

"The mission and principles of the SCO have been extensively recognized by the international community," Yang said, adding that more and more countries and international institutions hope to establish cooperation ties with the SCO.

In recent years, the SCO has accepted India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as observers, while its dialogue partners have increased to include Belarus and Sri Lanka. The organization has also forged cooperation partnerships with the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Yang attributed the SCO's success to its basic principle of adhering to the "Shanghai Spirit," which endorses mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversified civilizations and pursuit of common development.

"It (the 'Shanghai Spirit') embodies the member states' thinking on new notions regarding security, development, cooperation and new civilization, which is meaningful internationally and has made important contribution to the building of new state relations and a harmonious region," Yang said.

"We have every reason to believe that, with the common care and joint efforts of all the sides concerned, Wednesday's SCO summit will be a great success," said the Chinese foreign minister.