The President of Uzbekistan spoke in favor of further expansion of the multifaceted partnership within the SCO

On July 4, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO member states, held in Astana, the press service of the head of our state reports.

The event, chaired by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was also attended by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the Acting President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber, the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Foreign Minister of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as well as Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Zhang Ming and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure Ruslan Mirzaev.

In accordance with the agenda, an open exchange of views took place on topical issues of regional and international issues, and prospects for further expansion of multifaceted cooperation within the SCO were discussed.

Welcoming the summit participants, the head of Uzbekistan highly appreciated the results of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the SCO, and also sincerely congratulated Belarus on joining the organization.

The leader of our country emphasized that the current summit is taking place in the context of an aggravated international situation.

New destructive conflicts are emerging, security challenges and threats are intensifying, which occur against the backdrop of decreasing mutual trust, increasing confrontation and rivalry, and growing geopolitical tension.

– In such difficult conditions, it is extremely important to maintain and further strengthen our commitment to the basic principles of the SCO, thanks to which the organization’s current successes, its high authority and stabilizing role in international affairs have become possible, – noted Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

In this context, he called for continued strict adherence to the fundamental principles of the “Shanghai Spirit” – mutual trust and mutual benefit, equality, respect for the diversity of cultures, preservation of non-align status, the principle of consensus in decision-making.

As the President of Uzbekistan noted, in today’s realities it is important to prevent the SCO’s unity from weakening.“We must strengthen the cohesion of the SCO family, make maximum use of the emerging opportunities, consistently implementing the principle of joint development”, – he said.

It was emphasized that in order to realize the colossal development potential of the SCO countries, the formation of a new model of economic partnership and the development of a long-term sustainable development agenda are required.

Speaking about the most pressing tasks facing the SCO, the head of Uzbekistan drew attention to the following.

In the context of an unprecedented deficit of trust at the global level, it is necessary to find new approaches to ensure our common security.

In this context, the relevance of the implementation of the Samarkand Solidarity Initiative put forward by the Uzbek side in the name of common security and prosperity is pointed out.

The head of our state called for the adoption of the SCO Code of Good Neighbourliness, Trust and Cross-Border Partnership in order to strengthen dialogue and deepen multilateral cooperation.

To achieve a strategic breakthrough in the economic dimension, it was proposed to develop an Agreement on Facilitation of Trade Procedures within the organization, a Cooperation Program in the field of e-commerce with the integration of existing digital trading platforms.

As part of supporting industrial cooperation programs, the expediency of adopting a Set of measures to stimulate mutual investments, primarily in infrastructure, high-tech industries and the service sector, was noted.

In this context, the importance of creating mechanisms for financial support of such projects was emphasized, including consideration of the issue of establishing a Fund and the SCO Development Bank.

The leader of Uzbekistan drew attention to the need to form an inclusive transport system along the East-West and North-South lines, which will contribute to the effective development of the economic potential of the SCO countries.

– Multiple options of transport corridors are the most important condition for the sustainable development of our entire region, – the President emphasized.

The head of our state also proposed developing a Plan for the digitalization of logistics procedures, including the organization of electronic exchange of data on goods transported across the borders of the SCO countries.

In order to expand modern and reliable energy infrastructure in the Organization’s space, it was proposed to prepare a Comprehensive Cooperation Plan to stimulate the attraction of investments and technologies in renewable energy.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev especially noted that to ensure the competitiveness of our countries, the transition to a digital economy, the introduction of “artificial intelligence” and advanced IT solutions are of decisive importance.

In this regard, he advocated the development of the SCO Future Technologies Program, which will allow the exchange of knowledge and best practices in this area.

The President of Uzbekistan proposed considering the possibility of adopting a “road map” for cooperation between the SCO countries in the field of social development and protection.

It was emphasized that the implementation of specific tasks to improve living standards and develop territories, primarily rural areas, will be a common contribution to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

In the context of ensuring food security, the development of a joint electronic platform “Atlas of SCO Food Security” has been initiated, combining data on the agro-industrial potential of the organization’s countries in terms of products produced and supply capabilities. It is proposed to involve experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in this work.

Regarding issues of regional security, the head of our state noted the need to continue close coordination of the work of the competent bodies of the SCO countries in the fight against modern challenges and security threats, including through the SCO RATS.

The leader of Uzbekistan specifically focused on the situation in neighboring Afghanistan as an integral part of Central Asia, directly affecting regional stability.

Pointing to differences in approaches to building relations with the current Afghan authorities, he called for maintaining dialogue with Kabul, which is in the interests of security and economic development of the entire region.

In this regard, the relevance of the proposal to resume the work of the ‘‘SCO-Afghanistan’’ Contact Group was emphasized.

In conclusion, the leader of our country congratulated President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping on the People’s Republic of China accepting the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Following the meeting, a document signing ceremony took place. In particular, the Astana Declaration and a package of important multilateral documents were adopted aimed at further strengthening the partnership in various areas of interaction.

At the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the heads of state of the SCO approved the Interaction Plan of the organization’s member countries on issues of ensuring international information security and the Statement of the Council of Heads of State on the principles of good neighborliness, trust and partnership.