Chinese President Hu Jintao said Thursday the summit of Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) this year signifies that the
regional organization has entered a new era of development.
"At the summit, we agreed to improve the SCO's internal
construction, carry out agreements, boost cooperation in specific
projects, and expand the exchanges and cooperation with observers
and related international organizations," Hu said at a joint news
conference following the summit meeting.
These moves will help the SCO yield more substantial fruits,
better maintain regional security and stability, and bring benefits
to the peoples throughout the world, the president said.
As an intergovernmental organization established in 2001, the
SCO comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India were accepted as SCO
observers in 2004 and 2005.
Heads of state and representatives of SCO members and observers,
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and representatives of some
international organizations attended Thursday's summit.
The summit passed a fifth-anniversary declaration of the SCO and
endorsed a series of documents, including one on international
information security.
"China will, as always, work with all sides to promote the SCO
development and turn the region into a harmonious one featuring
lasting peace and common prosperity," Hu said.
With joint efforts, the summit has fulfilled the aim of
enhancing mutual trust, promoting union and deepening cooperation,
he said. "The summit is a complete success."
"We highly appreciate the achievements the SCO has fulfilled in
mechanism building, security, economy, culture and foreign affairs
over the past five years," Hu said.
The "Shanghai Spirit", which embodies mutual trust and benefit,
equality, respect for cultural diversity and a desire for common
development, is the common treasure of all sides and the principle
guiding the SCO's further development, he said.
"We will carry forward the 'Shanghai Spirit' and work for an SCO
that features more pragmatic cooperation, more efficient action and
more important role," he said.
Following the end of Thursday's summit, Kyrgyzstan will become
the SCO's new chair with the next SCO summit to be held in
Kyrgyzstan.
(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2006)
