SCO Summit takes place in Bishkek

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, President of China Xi Jinping, President of Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambaev, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov participated at the summit.

Heads of the delegations of the SCO member states – President of Afganistan Hamid Karzai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of India Salmah Khurshid, President of Iran Hasan Rokhani, President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Advisor of Prime Minister of Pakistan on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz also attended the event.

At the summit, the participants exchanged opinion on actual international and regional issues, as well as perspectives of further developing the SCO.

It was noted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an optimal platform for supporting constructive dialogue and joint search for effective ways of solving global and regional problems.

Bishkek declaration, adopted during the summit, fully reflects main approached to further development of mutual beneficial cooperation and reflects common intention to expand and deepen multilateral cooperation.

The SCO leaders said that international relations are undergoing rapid processes, which have a serious impact on security and stability, realities of modern politics and economy. It was noted that the member states should work together to overcome global threats and challenges to sustainable social-economic development of the SCO area.

The member states of the SCO are actively working to combat international terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as trans-national organized crime, illegal turnover of narcotics, psychotropic substances and their precursors, as well as weapons, armors and explosives, threat to information safety, illegal migration and works on further improving legislative framework for cooperation in these spheres.

The member states said that illegal turnover of drugs and their non-medical consumption represent serious threat to stability and safety, health and well-being of population of the countries of the region. The countries underlined it is necessary to adopt measures on forming effective system on fighting drug threats and set firm barrier against illegal drug turnover. The SCO member-states called for active cooperation with other interested countries, regional and international organizations in this issue.

In this connection, the SCO member states expressed readiness to boost practical implementation of the Shanghai convention on fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, the SCO Convention against terrorism, programme of cooperation of the SCO member states to fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2013-2015, agreement among the SCO states on ensuring international information safety, agreement among the SCO member states on cooperation in fighting illegal turnover of drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, etc.

Leaders of the SCO countries affirmed their adherence to cooperation in further modernization of national economies, close investment partnership, cooperation in transport and communication, innovative technologies, agriculture sector. The sides also agreed to continue work to study creation of the SCO Development Fund (Special Account) and the SCO Development Bank and speed up their creation.

The member states underlined importance of further development of interaction in scientific-technical and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as tourism, which will help for further strengthening of good neighborhood, friendship and cooperation, promote intercultural dialogue.

The SCO leaders highly rated conducted work on preparation and agreeing of the action plan for 2013-2017 on implementation of the agreement on long-term good neighborhood, friendship and cooperation of the member states of the SCO.

They also noted actuality of signed agreement among the SCO member states on scientific-technical cooperation.

The heads of the states underlined work of experts on preparation of draft rule on provision of the status of the member state of the SCO and new edition of standard memorandum on liabilities of the applicant states to receive status of the SCO member states. The SCO leaders entrusted the Council of national coordinators of the SCO member states to continue work on agreeing these documents.

The SCO member states also considered and approved reports of the SCO Secretary-General on activities of the organization and the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO on its operation.

The SCO member states praised the presidency of Kyrgyzstan in the SCO and expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz side for hospitability during the Bishkek summit.

In line with the SCO Charter, Tajikistan will assume presidency of the organization for next year. Next summit of the SCO leaders will be held in Dushanbe in 2014.