The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members issued a
joint communiqué in Shanghai on Thursday, saying that the fight
against the "three evil forces" remains the organization's top
priority.
"It remains the top priority of the organization to combat the
threats posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as
illegal drug trafficking, which have not diminished but aggravated
in scale and degree," says the communiqué, which was released after
the SCO concluded its annual summit.
Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO comprises China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Presidents of the six member states attended Thursday's summit.
Presidents and representatives of Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and
India, which are the observer states of the organization, also
attended the meeting.
On the day when the organization was founded, the six heads of
state signed the Shanghai Pact on fighting terrorism, separatism
and extremism. To coordinate SCO members' efforts in fighting the
"three evil forces," the SCO set up a regional anti-terrorism
agency in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan.
The communiqué says the heads of state spoke positively of the
work done by the SCO Regional Anti-terrorism Structure, and were
convinced that this structure has the potential to better perform
its duties and carry out its mission.
The SCO members have conducted three joint anti-terrorism
military exercises and will hold another one in Russia in 2007.
The communiqué also says "the SCO will try to expand cooperation
among member states in the international arena in various forms and
by various means."
It says the organization will hold regular consultations with
observers and international organizations concerned. "This is fully
applicable to the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, which is already
functioning."
According to the communiqué, the heads of state pointed out with
satisfaction that the initiative endorsed by the Council of Heads
of State in Tashkent 2004 on establishing cooperative relations
among international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region was
warmly and widely received.
They welcomed the signing of cooperation documents between the
SCO and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic
Community (EURASEC), the communiqué says.
"They reiterated that the SCO is ready to forge similar ties
with other international organizations and financial institutions
on the basis of equality and mutual respect," it says.
"The SCO Secretariat should, together with the Executive
Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-terrorist Structure, closely
follow the implementation of cooperation documents signed between
the SCO and other organizations and energetically promote concrete
cooperation with the observers," it says.
The heads of state also entrusted the Council of National
Coordinators to make recommendations on the procedure of SCO
membership enlargement, the communiqué says, adding that this
procedure should fully conform to the purposes and goals set forth
in the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ensure the
effectiveness of all treaties that form the legal basis of the SCO,
help strengthen its unity and guarantee the applicability of the
principle of consensus to consultations on all matters and at all
levels of the SCO.
According to the communiqué, the next meeting of the Council of
Heads of State will be held in Bishkek in 2007. Kyrgyzstan will
assume SCO presidency next year.
(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2006)