DUSHANBE, Sept. 12 -- Leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) called on Friday for an early restoration of peace in Ukraine.

At the 14th SCO summit held in the Tajik capital, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his counterparts from other members of the security bloc voiced support for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis through negotiations.

They urged peace to be restored in Ukraine at an early date, hailing a ceasefire deal reached between representatives of the Ukrainian government and insurgent leadership on Sept. 5 in Minsk at a meeting also attended by Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The deal has brought forth a glimmer of hope that an end to the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine is within reach. Armed clashes in the region, starting in March, have claimed at least 2,600 lives.