China, Tajikistan pitch for closer energy cooperation, stronger SCO

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Dushanbe for the Maldives on Sunday, concluding a four-day trip to Tajikistan that has significantly boosted bilateral ties and injected fresh vigor into regional cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

REGIONAL SECURITY & DEVELOPMENT

During his stay in the Central Asian country, Xi attended the 14th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, which formulated a development blueprint of the group for the next decade aimed at regional stability and common prosperity.

One of the major outcomes of the Dushanbe summit is the ratification of two documents that define the basic principles of membership enlargement.

The documents set legal, administrative and financial criteria for adopting new members, and officially paved the way for aspirant countries to join the 13-year-old bloc, which groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"Any country that is willing to join the SCO and meets the criteria is welcome to apply for the membership of the organization," said Xi in a speech delivered at the summit.

On security issues, the six-member bloc pledged further concerted efforts to safeguard peace and stability of the region and tackle global challenges on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual trust.

In this regard, Xi suggested the SCO members launch consultation on an anti-extremism convention and initiate studies on a mechanism for actions against internet terrorism.

"(We) should make concerted efforts to crack down on the 'three evil forces' of terrorism, extremism and separatism," he told the summit.

The Chinese president also called on the SCO members to entrust the group's Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure (RCTS) with a new function to combat drug trafficking at an early date.

On the economic front, the Eurasian leaders inked a deal on the facilitation of international road transport among the SCO member states.

Meanwhile, leaders of the SCO members agreed upon the significance of the 70th anniversary of the World War II victory and pledged joint efforts to fight against any attempts to revive fascism.

"All the SCO members will, as always, crack down on any attempts to conjure up the specter of fascism and to exploit extremism and terrorism," they said in a joint declaration issued after the summit.

On the sidelines of the summit, Xi attended a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, and proposed to build an economic corridor linking the three nations.