Presidents of Five Nations to Attend "Shanghai Five" SummitPresidents of five nations will attend the Sixth Summit Meeting of the "Shanghai Five" scheduled for June 14-15 in Shanghai, as guests of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Thursday.They are President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan, and President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the " Shanghai Five", Zhu said, adding that the upcoming summit will be of great significance in helping the "Shanghai Five" enter a new phase. The heads of states will have a comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views on the building and development of the "Shanghai Five" mechanism as well as current major international issues. They will sign a series of important documents, Zhu said. Chinese President Jiang Zemin will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of states of other "Shanghai Five" countries, he said. Summit to Be SuccessThe Sixth Summit Meeting of the "Shanghai Five" scheduled for June 14-15 in Shanghai is bound to be a success through joint efforts of concerned parties, said Zhu.When asked to talk about the topics of and his expectations for the Summit at the routine press conference, Zhu said that the meeting coincides with the beginning of the new century and the fifth anniversary of the founding of the "Shanghai Five" mechanism. During the summit meeting, heads of states will have a comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views on the building up and development of the "Shanghai Five" mechanism, their future cooperation in such fields as security, economy and trade, and international and regional issues of common concern, Zhu said. Meanwhile, they will make major strategic decisions and sign a series of documents of historical significance, in a bid to raise their good-neighborly friendship and cooperation to a new phase and a new level, added Zhu. China, as the host, attaches great importance to the meeting and has made a great deal of preparations for the smooth convention and the substantial results of the meeting, noted Zhu. Chinese President Jiang Zemin has invited President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan, and President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan to attend the summit. |
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