SCO FM Meeting Has Significant Results, Spokesman

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 09, 2002

SCO FM Meeting Has Significant Results, Spokesman

Significant accomplishments

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said Tuesday that the foreign ministers conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which ended Monday, has accomplished significant results.

He said that foreign ministers of the six SCO members, through in-depth discussions, reached a consensus on such urgent issues as the current situation in Afghanistan, the international anti-terrorism campaign, the fight against the "three-forces" of terrorism, splittism and extremism in the region, and the development of the six-nation organization.

The SCO, which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was founded in June 2001.

Urgent issues under discussion

Sun said the six SCO members pay great attention to the situation in Afghanistan and believe that Afghanistan should become a peaceful and neutral country. The six countries expressed firm support to the interim government in Afghanistan and their willingness to strengthen cooperation in combating all forms of terrorism.

The six countries also emphasized that those combating terrorism should not have double standards, and the United Nations should play a leading role in anti-terrorism activities. Under the complicated and rapidly changing international situation, the SCO should play a more active role, Sun said.

He added the six countries are determined to speed up the improvement of internal structure and cooperative mechanism of the SCO.

At the end of Monday's meeting, the six foreign ministers signed a joint statement and adopted the principles of a SCO mechanism to deal with emergencies.

Founding of SCO

China, Russia and other four Central Asian countries decided in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 to launch a regional cooperation organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), for the purpose of ensuring regional security as well as common prosperity.

Establishment of SCO serves to help create a new political and economic order in the world, analysts in Shanghai said. Full Coverage

Declaration of SCO

The declaration said that the organization will try all out to safeguard the regional security and cooperate with each other in fighting against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Peopledaily's editorial on SCO

The importance of the organization lies with its vital strategic political and economic position, and its inclusion of countries and civilizations of different kinds. The new security concept, the new state-to-state relationship, and the model of regional cooperation proposed by the organization will be even more attractive. Full Coverage

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