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SCO 'committed to peace, prosperity'
By Xing Zhigang(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-16 05:55
SHANGHAI: The leaders of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO)
yesterday reiterated their commitment to lasting peace and common
prosperity.
At the conclusion of the organisation's one-day summit, President Hu
Jintao and his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed the Declaration on the Fifth Anniversary
of the SCO, reaffirming their commitment.
The paper elaborates on the member states' common stance on a host of
international issues, while outlining prospects for the SCO.
It was one of 10 documents endorsed at the summit, expanding co-operation
in a wide range of areas including education, business, finance,
information security and the battle against terrorism.
The annual summit, held at the Shanghai International Convention Centre,
coincided with the fifth anniversary of the organization's foundation.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali
Rakhmonov and Uzbek President Islam Karimov attended the summit.
Also present at the meeting were Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar,
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Iranian President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad and Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora
representing the four SCO observer countries.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai were also present.
The SCO members will join together to make the region "peaceful,
co-ordinated in development, open, prosperous and harmonious," the
declaration says.
They will not join any alliance or international organization or allow
the use of their territories in any way that could undermine the
sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other SCO members, it
adds.
"They (the members) prohibit activities by organizations or gangs in
their territories that are detrimental to the interests of other member
states."
The declaration also emphasizes that the SCO will continue to follow its
principles of being open, non-aligned and not targeting any other country.
It states clearly the SCO's hope of pursuing a new and
non-confrontational model for international relations, a model that
discards the Cold-War mentality and transcends ideological differences.
In the declaration, the six countries express their support for the
primary responsibility of the United Nations (UN) in international
affairs.
"No time limit should be set for UN reform, nor should a vote be forced
on any proposal over which there are major differences," it notes.
It adds: "The SCO holds that the next UN secretary-general should come
from Asia."
During his speech at the summit, President Hu proposed forming a
convention to promote lasting good relations and co-operation within the
SCO.
"We should respect and support the interests and concerns of all SCO
member countries, and enhance co-ordination and co-operation on
international and regional issues," Hu told the other heads of state.
On economic co-operation, he said: "We should carry out at an early date
a number of economic and technological co-operation projects that will
benefit all the parties involved, especially in the fields of energy,
electricity, transportation and telecommunication."
Hu reaffirmed China's firm adherence to the path of peaceful development
and the foreign policy of building a harmonious, secure and prosperous
neighbourhood.
"China's peaceful development will in the first place bring huge
opportunities to our neighbouring countries, especially SCO member
states," he said.
Hu added that China has been smoothly implementing its plans to provide
US$900 million in loans in the form of preferential buyer's export credit
to the other SCO members, and to help them train 1,500 experts and
managers.
On the SCO's external relations, Hu said including Mongolia, Pakistan,
Iran and India in the SCO as observers was conducive to the
organization's role in promoting peace.
China will join hands with other member countries to push forward the
SCO's substantial co-operation with observers, with Afghanistan, and with
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Commonwealth of
Independent States.
During their summit speeches, the presidents of the other five SCO
members spoke highly of the organisation's contribution to promoting
regional economic growth and maintaining peace and stability.
At a later news conference, President Hu said the successful summit
signified a new era for the SCO's growth.
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 co-operation, more efficient action and a more
important international role," he said.
The next SCO summit will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which assumed
the organization's presidency following the end of yesterday's meeting.
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