CHOLPON-ATA (AA) - Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States met on Saturday in the Kyrgyz holiday center of Cholpon-Ata.
Hosted by the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry, the meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia, Wang Yi of China, Hamrohon Zarifi of Tajikistan, Abdulaziz Komilov of Uzbekistan, Kayrat Sarıbay of Kazakhstan and Erlan Abdildayev of Kyrgyzstan as well as Dmitriy Mezentsev, the Secretary-General of SCO.
Speaking after the meeting held at the Cengiz Aytmatov Culture Center in Cholpon-Ata near Issik Lake, "pearl of Kyrgyzstan," Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Abdildayev expressed his gratitude upon hosting his counterparts and holding a friutful talk.
He stated that they handled at the meeting the development of the organization, elaborating on the organization's increasing role in the region and in the world.
"We discussed the fast-developing world events, marginal groups threatening the world and the region along with the anti-terrorism and counter-narcotics efforts. We will continue our efforts towards ensuring sustainable economies for the member states," he noted.
Following the meeting, Foreign Ministers of SCO Member States signed a joint declaration, expressing the concerns over the recent political developments in the Near East and North Africa.
Founded in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is comprised of China and the Russian Federation as well as the Central Asian states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Pakistan, Iran, Mongolia and Afghanistan attend the the Council meetings of Heads of States as observers while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are the dialogue partners to the SCO.
Its goals include managing potential Sino-Russian tensions or competition, but its overt activities aim first at transnational threats and, additionally, at economic and infrastructure cooperation.
The next summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in Kyrgyzstan in September.
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