SCO signs 12 documents on cooperation
By Gunay Hasanova
An expanded format meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government was held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, BelTA agency reported on November 3.
The meeting was attended by Kyrgyzstan’s Acting Prime Minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda and Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov.
Jeenbekov, addressing the event, voiced that Kyrgyzstan calls for creation of a development bank and a development fund of the SCO in a short time.
“These institutions must become effective instruments of financial support for joint economic projects,” he said.
SCO member countries agreed to create a development bank and a development fund of SCO at a meeting in 2012.
The Kyrgyz official further noted the importance of engaging SCO business and financial institutions in the implementation of joint projects.
Moreover, the acting prime minister said that Kyrgyzstan supports Russian and Chinese initiative on pairing the project activity within the Eurasian Economic Union and the Economic Belt of the Silk Road.
“We believe that at the moment we need a comprehensive plan of economic cooperation, including the development of infrastructure projects, industry, trade and services,” Jeenbekov said.
Russia will chair the SCO Heads of Government Council in 2017, Jeenbekov said at the
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in turn, noted that during its chairmanship of the SCO Heads of Government Council, Russia will support the efforts of its SCO partners to strengthen the cooperation in economy, humanitarian affairs and security.
The event saw signing of 12 documents on cooperation, including a Joint Communique of the SCO heads of governments.
Moreover the countries signed a decree on the SCO budget for 2017, a list of actions for further development of the project activities within the SCO in 2017-2021, a decree on further work aimed at creation of the SCO Development Bank and Development Fund.
They also signed a concept of scientific and technological partnerships, an action plan for the implementation of the agreement between the SCO governments on scientific and technical cooperation for 2016- 2020 and a draft road development program.
The SCO, established in 2001, is a strategically important political, economic and military organization that has a geographic sweep stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf.
The SCO members now are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus are the SCO observer-countries, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.
The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations’ security-related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova
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