17 June 2004 16:16
Putin calls for closer cooperation of Shanghai members
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit today, said the
organization was well placed to facilitate economic recovery in Afghanistan and suggested the setting up of a contact
group on anti-narcotics security zones. He also stressed the need for economic cooperation and noted China's
decision to allocate nearly 1bn dollars to promote trade in the region. The following is the text of a report by Russia
TV on 17 June. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Presenter] Today in the Uzbek capital the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member
states - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - adopted the Tashkent Declaration, which
focuses on strengthening cooperation in the sphere of security and on protecting shared interests. Joint exercises of
the SCO countries are expected to strengthen coordination in fighting terrorism - the decision to hold them was adopted
by the leaders of the six states. The participants of the summit also signed a number of other important documents.
Addressing the participants of the session, Vladimir Putin said that the SCO should become one of the key links in
the global anti-terrorist coalition. And another important result of today's session: Mongolia has been given
observer status at the SCO. The Mongolian delegation, as well as the head of Afghanistan's interim administration,
Hamed Karzai, were invited to the summit as guests of honour.
Putin: SCO can facilitate revival of Afghanistan
The internal political situation in Afghanistan became one of the main issues at the session.
[Putin] The dramatic situation in Afghanistan was one of the motives for setting up the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization. Today the situation in this country is changing and the formation of new political institutions and power
structures is under way. However, in the social and economic spheres there are many acute problems. I suppose all
members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have an interest in peace and order ruling the land of Afghanistan and
an economic revival taking off. The SCO has substantial potential to make a positive contribution to these processes,
including to the implementation of the initiative to create external anti-narcotics security zones. It would probably be
worth asking the foreign ministries of our countries, together with our Afghan friends and the Secretariat of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to work on the setting up of a SCO-Afghanistan contact group.
Putin: SCO needs to earn respect, China sets example by supporting trade
[Presenter] And we just received video footage from the news conference given by the presidents on the results of the
summit. Vladimir Putin again stressed the importance of cooperation between the SCO countries not only in fighting
terrorism but also in the economic sphere.
[Putin] The future influence of the organization will depend on how productive our joint activities in the main
directions of cooperation will be. One of them is cooperation in the economic sphere and here there is vast scope for
joint work. We are countries of the same region, neighbouring countries and we are united by shared problems and shared
interests, and also by shared borders.
Today the People's Republic of China made a serious step to facilitate this cooperation. It set a good example -
it announced the decision by the Chinese government to allocate nearly 1bn US dollars for developing trade between our
countries. We have many shared infrastructure interests and problems which we can tackle effectively through joint
efforts. By uniting regional efforts, we could achieve major results and respect for the SCO on the world arena will
also depend on this.
Opening of Anti-terrorist centre
[Presenter] In the morning the leaders of the six countries took part in the opening ceremony of the headquarters of
the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-terrorist Centre of the organization. About 50 representatives of
power-wielding structures from six countries will be working there.
The participants of the summit held an informal conversation in the headquarters and were photographed.
[RTR Russia TV] |
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