Leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Tajik capital issued a joint declaration Thursday on security, energy and several other issues.

The declaration was signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao, his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (3rd L) poses for group photos with other leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, on August 28, 2008, during the annual summit of the organization.

On use of force

The leaders agreed that any attempt to solve problems by merely resorting to force could not work and would only hinder a comprehensive settlement of local conflicts, the declaration said.

A comprehensive solution to existing problems can be found only by taking into account the interests of all parties involved and including them all in the negotiation process rather than isolating any of them, said the declaration.

Any attempt to strengthen a country's own security at the expense of that of others is detrimental to maintaining global security and stability, it said.

On the issue of South Ossetia, the SCO members expressed their deep concerns over the tension triggered by the South Ossetia conflict, and called on relevant parties to solve existing problems peacefully through dialogue, strive for reconciliation and push for negotiations.