A meeting of the Council of Shanghai cooperation organization’s heads of state 12.11.2020 10:58

The meeting of the SCO Council Heads of State was held in a videoconference format on November 10.

The event was attended by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of China XI Jinping, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional anti-terrorist structure Jumakhon Gijesov.

The summit was also attended by the heads of the SCO observer states: President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, President of Iran Hassan Rouhani, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a welcome video message.

The SCO meeting was chaired by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The interlocutors discussed the priority tasks of developing the SCO’s activities in the light of the dominant processes in world politics and economy, stressing that in the context of a profound transformation of international relations, the SCO continues to assert itself as one of the important pillars of the emerging representative and fair world order based on the rule of international law, equal and indivisible security, respect for civilizational diversity and sovereignty.

The parties plan to further promote practical cooperation in the field of politics, security, trade and economy, cultural and humanitarian relations in order to overcome the global and regional consequences of the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus infection, and ensure reliable security, prosperity and sustainable economic growth of the Organization’s member States.

The agreed positions of the SCO member states are reflected in the documents adopted at the end of the SGG – the Moscow Declaration and statements on the 75th anniversary of victory In world war II, on countering the spread of terrorist, separatist and extremist ideology, including on the Internet, on cooperation in ensuring international information security, on countering the drug threat, on joint counteraction to the new coronavirus infection, as well as on cooperation in the digital economy.

The action Plan for 2021-2025 on the implementation of the SCO development Strategy until 2025, the Concept of cooperation of the SCO member States on the development of remote and rural territories in the digital age, and a Comprehensive plan of joint measures of the SCO member States to counter the threats of epidemics in the region were approved. The reports of the SCO Secretary General and the Director of the rats Executive Committee on the main results of activities in 2019 were approved.

The participants highly appreciated the Russian presidency of the SCO, which has contributed to giving new dynamics and quality to the development of the Organization.

Tajikistan assumed the SCO presidency.

Summing up the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that a solid package of documents was prepared for the meeting. The main results are reflected in the Moscow Declaration, which contains consolidated assessments of the situation in the SCO space and in the world as a whole. The results of the Russian presidency of the SCO in 2019-2020 were summed up, and guidelines were set for the organization’s future activities, Putin said.

9 decisions of the heads of state were also prepared, including the approval of the action plan for 2021-2025, the fight against epidemics, and cooperation between the SCO and a number of international organizations.

In addition, 6 statements of the SCO leaders were formulated, including those dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in world war II, joint counteraction to the coronavirus and cooperation in the digital economy.

Putin offered to approve all these documents, adding that the SCO Secretariat will organize their signing in a working order. In turn, the Moscow Declaration and statements of the leaders are planned to be distributed to the UN, the Russian President stressed. There were no objections, after which the Russian leader thanked his colleagues for supporting the final decisions of the summit.

Putin stated that the SCO, which will be 20 years old in 2021, occupies an authoritative place in the system of international relations. He wished Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon successful and fruitful work in the framework of the chairmanship in the SCO.