Taking part in the forum were personnel, teachers of far eastern colleges, representatives of research institutes, public organizations and media outlets. The main theme of the discussion was the latest nuclear and missile tests in North Korea, and their influence on the situation in countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

In the opinion of conference participants, the SCO is presently viewed as a serious peacekeeping force on the Korean peninsula, and members of this organization - Russia and China - must play the key role here.

"The SCO" is neutral; it’s not interested in the support of either side; it may become a mediator in the talks," senior research scientist of the center of international studies of the Nevelsky State Maritime University Tagir Khuziyatov said.

Forum participants noted that the SCO was indeed an organization of new type. It is not lecturing its neighbors in the Asian-Pacific region on how to build regional cooperation, but , being part of the larger Asian-Pacific Region, has turned into a powerful factor of regional stability and integration.

The conference paid considerable attention to the analysis of threats to the environment of the Primorye Territory.

According to the information presented by the regional hydrometeorological center, which had been monitoring the environmental situation for a week after the North Korean nuclear test, there were no fluctuations in the radiation background.

However, this does not imply there was no threat at all: simply the wind had driven all air masses from North Korea towards the Sea of Japan.

The SCO is a sub-regional international organization comprising Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The observer status has been granted to Mongolia, India, Iran and Pakistan.

On 15 June, Yekaterinburg will host a SCO summit, which heads of countries of the Asian-Pacific region will attend.

Special attention will be paid to the Asian-Pacific vector of the development of the organization. The summit participants will be briefed on the information and conclusions drawn by specialists at the present conference in Vladivostok.