WNAM MONITORING: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana is set to bring together leaders from member states to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and political collaboration. SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming outlines his expectations for the summit and speaks about what final documents will be signed at the Astana summit.
“Currently, preparations for the summit are in full swing and are nearing completion. We are confident that the meeting of the Council of Heads of State (CHS) in Astana will become another fruitful, pragmatic and successful summit in the history of the SCO, giving new impetus to the healthy and dynamic development of the Organization against the backdrop of an unstable and difficult international situation,” says Zhang Ming.
He noted that from a political point of view, along with the adoption of the Astana Declaration, it is expected that the heads of the SCO member states will consider a solid package of fundamentally new documents. These include the document proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at last year’s Summit Initiative titled “On World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony,” and the Uzbek project “Statement of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on the principles of good neighborliness, trust, and cross-border partnership of the SCO.”
“Security cooperation is a priority area that has been persistently and continuously strengthened since the creation of the SCO. It is expected that at the meeting of the CHS, new agreements will be reached on cooperation in such areas as countering terrorism, combating the “three forces of evil”, anti-drug activities, suppressing cross-border organized crime, and ensuring information security,” notes SCO Secretary General.
He added that the summit will examine cooperation in key areas such as the Organization’s phased development strategy, energy, investment and financing, environmental protection, ecology, and tourism.
In addition, the CHS is also expected to decide on the appointment of the Secretary General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure for a new term, in connection with the expiration of the terms of office of the heads of two permanent SCO bodies.
