Regional security and getting over crisis on SCO today?s Yekaterinburg agenda

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who has been the chair of the Organization in 2008-2009 greeted the partners - Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon, and Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov. "It is very meaningful that we have met here today on June 15th ? the day when our organization has become 8 years", - Dmitry Medvedev pointed out. The Russian leader suggested discussing the issues related to the further development of the Organization. "There is suggestion to start the work on the issues of regional security and global financial recession in private formats. Later representatives of the observer countries will join us. Afterwards we will hold a plenary sitting with participation of all delegations", - the Russian President suggested. Today in Yekaterinburg only private meetings will be held. The rest activities are scheduled for tomorrow. The observer countries are represented by newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, First Prime Minister of Mongolian Government Norovyn Altanhuyag and Pakistan President Asif Zardari. Among the invitees are Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and heads of a number of international organizations. After the summit it is planned to sign Yekaterinburg Declaration and SCO Convention against terrorism. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will hold bilateral meetings as part of the forum. Tuesday afternoon President Nazarbayev will return to Astana. June 17 Brazilian President is expected to arrive in Astana with an official visit.