China and Russia on Monday pledged efforts to promote multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The SCO is becoming an influential force in the region and on the international arena, and promoting multilateral cooperation with the framework of the SCO is a foreign policy priority of both China and Russia, a China-Russia joint statement said.

As the SCO enters a new stage of development, close political dialogues on urgent international issues are of great significance, visiting President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in the statement issued on Monday.

According to the statement, both sides agreed to take coordinating measures to expand and deepen trade and economic cooperation among the SCO members.

China and Russia will also enhance cooperation with Central Asian countries in politics, trade and economy and security within bilateral frameworks and the framework of the SCO, it said.

On the fight against terror, the two sides voiced the hope that the SCO's capabilities to fight terrorism would be further strengthened. The SCO should give full play to its important role in boosting cooperation within its framework in cracking down on the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and beating back new challenges and removing new threats, the statement said.

President Hu arrived in Moscow earlier on Monday for a three-day state visit.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)