Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and other leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Presidents of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon (L), Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev (2nd L), Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev (3rd L), Russia VladimirPutin(3rd R) and Uzbekistan Islam Karimov (R), pose for a group photo before the 15th SCO summit in Ufa, Russia, July 10, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) approved a host of documents that drew up the blueprint for the development of the multilateral cooperation mechanism in the next decade at the bloc's 15th summit here on Friday. [Special coverage]
The comprehensive blueprint, which covers a variety of issues including a 10-year development strategy, organization expansion, closer coordination in security, and the resolve to uphold the results of World War II, is expected to become a landmark of the SCO and to lift the SCO cooperation to a new high.
PRAGMATIC PLANS FOR NEXT DECADE
Leaders of the SCO member states, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, approved the SCO Development Strategy until 2025 at the summit, which sets detailed targets and tasks for the bloc's development in the upcoming 10 years, based on a thorough analysis of global and regional development trends.
The strategy maps out goals for the member states to cooperate in politics, security, trade and economy, and people-to-people and media exchanges in the next decade.
According to the strategy, the member states will make concerted efforts to bolster trust and friendship with each other, deal with security threats, deepen economic and trade cooperation, boost interactions in technology, health, education, as well as expand exchanges with other regional and international organizations, so as to enhance the bloc's influence in the international arena.
Economic cooperation is one of the most important aspects to promote common development of the member states.
During a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to take the SCO as an important platform to align China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with Russia's aspiration under the Eurasian Economic Union framework, a historic program that is expected to offer more opportunities of facilitating in-depth economic cooperation.
Xi brought up the Belt initiative in 2013 in a bid to boost cooperation between and thus advance the development of countries along the ancient Silk Road trade route.
STEADY STEPS TOWARD EXPANSION
The SCO member states ratified the resolution on starting the procedures of granting India and Pakistan full membership of the organization, and elevated Belarus to the status of observer from that of a dialogue partner, and took in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal as new dialogue partners, a significant decision that would help the bloc serve as a platform for broader economic and security cooperation within the Eurasian region.
Xi extended welcome to the planned enlargement, saying the admission of new forces into the SCO will inject new impetus into the bloc's all-round cooperation, while calling for upholding the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development.
Meanwhile, Putin believed that the expansion of the SCO opens a new chapter in its development, and expressed the hope that the bloc would become a platform to solve international issues.
The expansion shows the inclusiveness of the SCO, and proves that the bloc is increasingly strengthening its abilities in new fields and toward new directions, said Sergey Luzyanin, deputy director of the Far East Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
STEADFAST DETERMINATION TO SAFEGUARD COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY
Also adopted at the SCO summit are several documents concerning safeguarding security and stability in the region, including an agreement on strengthening border defense, a cooperative outline on combating the "three evil forces" (terrorism, separatism and extremism), and a joint statement on tackling drug production and trafficking.
Leaders of the six member states stressed that joint efforts must be made to respond to conventional and non-conventional challenges and threats in security areas, and pledged to intensify fight against terrorism and transnational organized crimes.
They believe that it is very important to enhance the role of the SCO in building a fair, open and equal world order to ensure security and sustainable development of all countries in the world.
STRONG RESOLVE TO UPHOLD WWII RESULTS
As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, the summit issued a statement to make a joint call for resolute opposition to any distortion of the results of WWII, and to remember history, commemorate martyrs, cherish peace and work together to create a better future.
In the statement, leaders of the SCO countries said the friendship forged in the war is a common asset of the SCO members, which also serves as a moral guideline for the struggle for justice and security in the world.
Recalling the catastrophic WWII, they vowed to make all-out efforts to prevent the rise of new, dangerous sentiment against humanity, while reiterating their commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other international law.
