¡¡¡¡Related: Member states pledge to make SCO
greater player on world stage
¡¡¡¡SHANGHAI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries met in Shanghai on Monday to
prepare for the SCO summit to be held in city in mid June.
¡¡¡¡"The meeting was pragmatic and constructive," Chinese Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing told reporters after the meeting.
¡¡¡¡A press release from China's Foreign Ministry said the six foreign
ministers - Li, Kasymzhomart Kemelevich Tokayev from Kazakhstan, Alikbek
Jekshenkulov from Kyrgyzstan, Sergei Lavrov from Russia, Talbak Nazarov from
Tajikistan and Elyar Ganiev from Uzbekistan - signed a series of resolutions.
¡¡¡¡"The upcoming summit will have a significant impact on the development of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We agree to improve exchanges and
cooperation to make sure that the upcoming summit will be a complete success,"
Li said.
¡¡¡¡The ministers also discussed organization construction and ratified a
statute on dispatching observers to observe presidential and/or parliamentary
elections and national referendums of member states.
¡¡¡¡Meanwhile, the ministers also exchanged ideas on key international issues
and pledged to remain concerted. They agreed to make full use of the
consultation mechanism between foreign ministries to jointly cope with the
changing regional and international situation, according to China's Foreign
Ministry.
¡¡¡¡"Facing all the opportunities and challenges, the member countries should
improve pragmatic cooperation to achieve common security, development and
prosperity with collective wisdom and strength," Li said.
¡¡¡¡On the sidelines of the annual meeting, Li held bilateral talks with his
counterparts of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
¡¡¡¡China's Foreign Ministry said Li told his counterparts that China hoped to
improve mutual support with the three countries on the key issues concerning
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
¡¡¡¡Li also said that China wished to maintain high-level exchanges with the
countries, deepen political trust and expand cooperation in economy and culture.
¡¡¡¡The three foreign ministers reiterated their firm adherence to the
one-China policy, saying that they supported China's efforts in national
reunification and opposed "Taiwan independence".
¡¡¡¡The SCO was established five years ago on June 15 in Shanghai. So far it
has four observers: Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India. Enditem
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| The annual meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is held at the Shanghai
International Conference Center in Shanghai, east China, on May 15, 2006.
(Xinhua Photo) |
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| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (R) shakes hands with his
Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during the annual meeting of the Foreign
Ministers' Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the
Shanghai International Conference Center in Shanghai, east China, on May
15, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) |
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| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (R) shakes hands with his
Kazakhstan counterpart Kasymzhomart Kemelevich Tokayev during the annual
meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) at the Shanghai International Conference Center in
Shanghai, east China, on May 15, 2006. (Xinhua
Photo) |
 |
| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (R) shakes hands with his
Tajikistan counterpart Talbak Nazarov during the annual meeting of the
Foreign Ministers' Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
in Shanghai, east China, on May 15, 2006. [Xinhua
Photo] |
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| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing(R) meets with
Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang
Deguang at Shanghai International Conference Center in Shanghai, east
China, May 15, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) |
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| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing(R) shakes hands with Uzbek
Foreign Minister Elyor Ganiyev at Shanghai International Conference Center
in Shanghai, east China, May 15, 2006. (Xinhua
Photo) |
 |
| Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing(R) shakes hands with Kyrgyz
Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov at Shanghai International Conference
Center in Shanghai, east China, May 15, 2006. (Xinhua
Photo) |
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| Director of Executive committee of the regional anti-terror
structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Vyacheslav
Kasimov, Uzbek Foreign Minister Elyor Ganiyev, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov, Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Kemelevich
Tokayev, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister
Alikbek Jekshenkulov, Tajikistan Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov and SCO
Secretary-General Zhang Deguang (from L to R) pose for a photo before the
meeting at Shanghai International Conference Center in Shanghai, east
China, May 15, 2006. (Xinhua
Photo) |