SCO Astana summit sums up achievements, looks to future
ASTANA. June 17. KAZINFORM The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) celebrated its 10th anniversary here Wednesday by summing up its achievements and outlining its future direction.
According to Xinhua, the milestone summit gave the SCO member states, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, a chance to review their progress so far and map out the way ahead through the adoption of Astana Declaration.
Ten years ago, the international political and economic order was on the eve of profound changes, with the shadow turmoil over Central Asia. Some countries in the region suffered civil wars while others were threatened by terrorism. These countries shared a growing desire to enhance mutual trust, carry out mutually beneficial cooperation and address challenges through joint efforts. The SCO was born of these needs.
Over the past decade, the SCO member states have signed more than 100 cooperative documents and established multi-tiered, wide-ranging consultative mechanisms, playing an irreplaceable role in the Euro-Asian geopolitical structure.
Under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit", which endorses mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development, the SCO has expanded cooperation in political, security, economic, cultural and other fields.
The Russian president's envoy for SCO affairs, Leonid Moiseev, told Xinhua that, in the past decade, the bloc had made anti-terrorism and transnational crime, and maintaining regional stability and security its major tasks.
For full version see http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-06/15/c_13931775.htm