Uzbek President Islam Karimov (L) arrives at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China on June 14, 2006. Karimov is here for the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) slated for June 15. (Xinhua Photo)

　　Uzbek President Islam Karimov (L) is greeted by a Chinese girl upon his arrival at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China on June 14, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

　　Uzbek President Islam Karimov (L) is greeted by a Chinese girl upon his arrival at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China on June 14, 2006.  (Xinhua Photo)

　　SHANGHAI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek president Islam Karimov arrived here Wednesday afternoon to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) slated for Thursday.

　　"The SCO is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining security within the SCO region," Karimov said in an interview with Chinese media ahead of the SCO summit.

　　With Uzbekistan added to the Shanghai Five mechanism which had grouped China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, the SCO came into being in June 2001.

　　The SCO anti-terrorism center is based in Tashkent, capital of Uzbeksitan.

　　Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov arrived in Shanghai earlier.

　　Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive later Wednesday afternoon. Enditem