During the period prior to entry into force of multilateral instruments governing the procedures for mutual relations between the SCO and other international organisations and States in accordance with the provisions of the SCO Charter the following provisional scheme for such relations shall be applied:

　　1. A non-member of the SCO and/or an international organisation shall be invited, with the prior consent of all Member States, to participate in a plenary of the Foreign Ministers` Council as guests of the acting Chairman of the FMC. Such an invitation shall be preliminarily agreed upon though the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States.

　　The invitation and provisional agenda of the meeting shall be sent by the foreign office headed by the acting Chairman of the FMC not later than one month prior to the date of the meeting. The invitation shall specify the procedure for participation in a FMC meeting as a guest. It shall also be indicated that in case the invitation is accepted the State and/or the international organisation concerned should notify the FMC Chairman thereof not later than ten days prior to the date of the meeting.

　　A guest shall participate in a FMC meeting at a foreign ministers` level. An international organisation should be represented at a FMC meeting at a level not lower than the deputy head of the organisation. The representatives of the SCO non-members or international organisations shall cover all the expenses related to their participation in a FMC meeting.
In case of an explicitly expressed desire to take the floor a guest may be given the floor subject to the established procedure and only when representatives of all SCO Member States will have spoken. The text of the address shall be put on record. In case of an explicitly expressed desire by a guest copies of the texts of official documents adopted at a FMC meeting may be transmitted to such a guest. A guest shall not be entitled to sign documents adopted at a FMC meeting, to propose amendments or additions to them, to put forward draft documents to be adopted by a FMC meeting. A guest shall not take part in joint meetings of the ministers of foreign affairs of Member States with representatives of mass media on the outcome of a FMC meeting.

　　The invitation of a guest to a FMC meeting shall be valid for this meeting only and shall not imply an automatic invitation to subsequent FMC meetings.

　　Representatives of no more than two states and/or two international organisations may participate simultaneously as guests in a meeting.

　　2. A non-member of the SCO and/or an international organisation shall be invited, with the prior consent of all Member States, to participate in multilateral consultations on political issues held by the ministries of foreign affairs of the SCO Member States. Such an invitation shall be preliminarily agreed upon through the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States.

　　The invitation and the topic of the consultations shall be sent to the guest on behalf of the foreign office of the host country of the consultations not later than one month prior to the date of the consultations. The invitation shall specify the procedure for participation in the consultations as a guest. It shall also be indicated that in case the invitation is accepted the guest should notify the foreign office of the host country of the consultations thereof not later than ten days prior to the date of the consultations.

　　An invited non-member of the SCO and/or an international organisation should be represented at the consultations at a level corresponding to that of the representatives of Member States of the SCO present at the consultations.

　　A guest may participate in the discussions during consultations, but shall not be entitled to sign final documents of the consultations and propose amendments or additions to them.

　　Copies of consultations` final documents may be transmitted to the guest.

　　The invitation of a guest to consultations shall be valid only for the consultations concerned and shall not imply an automatic invitation to subsequent consultations or consultations on other issues.

　　Representatives of no more than two states and/or international organisations may participate simultaneously as guests in consultations.

　　3. The SCO shall participate in the activities conducted under the aegis of other international organisations with prior consent of all Member States, at the level of the FMC acting Chairman or, on his instruction, at the level of the Chairman of the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States.

　　Invitations should be addressed to the Chairman of the FMC on whose behalf necessary responses shall be given.

　　After receiving an invitation the Chairman of the FMC shall concert through the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States various opinions concerning the form and procedure for SCO participation in a corresponding event, level and composition of its delegation as well as theses for a statement on behalf of the SCO (draft theses shall be prepared by the foreign office headed by the FMC acting Chairman). The delegation may include representatives of all Member States whose expenses shall be covered by their own states as well as the Secretary-General of the SCO and/or his or her deputies, the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Antiterrorist Structure and/or his or her deputies.

　　Having summed up the outcome of his/her participation in the activities of other international organisations, the SCO representative shall transmit to all Member States, through the Council of International Coordinators, general information and possible proposals and shall inform them about documents he/she received and the documents that were adopted and distributed in the course of the said activities.

　　4. The FMC acting Chairman may submit, with the prior consent of all Member States, an application for SCO participation in the activities of other international organisations. Submission of the said application shall be preliminarily agreed upon through the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States.

　　The procedure for preparation for the SCO participation in such activities shall be similar to the one specified in paragraph 3 of this Provisional Scheme.

　　This Provisional Scheme shall be applied as of the day of its signing.

　　Done in the City of Moscow on November 23, 2002, in one original copy in the Chinese and Russian languages to be deposited with the People's Republic of China, both texts of this Provisional Scheme being equally authentic.