Opinion

SCO aims to develop through regional stability

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-09 14:46

MOSCOW -- Since its establishment in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has seen its member states strengthen and deepen political trust and pragmatic cooperation in various fields and greatly contribute to regional stability and common development.

Thanks to joint efforts by the six members, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO-advocated new security perspective and the notion of common development have been gaining increasing significance.

Cooperation inside the bloc originated from joint military security work in border areas and was aimed at preserving regional stability. Agreements signed by SCO members, mostly related to border issues, have solved many disputes, avoided border clashes, and transformed the thousand-mile-long borders into bonds of friendship.

Along with changing regional and international situations, the security cooperation among the bloc has deepened. The fight against the "three evils," namely terrorism, separatism and extremism, has gradually dominated the security cooperation.

In 2004, the SCO set up the Regional Anti-Terrorists Organization (RATS) with its headquarter in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.

RATS has a database of terrorist-affiliated persons and can cross-check lists of terrorists groups. It also now works on the training of anti-terrorism units.

This year, RATS will conduct two major drills, in the Saratov region in Russia and in Kazakhstan with Russian military participation.

Based on cooperation on security issues, the group boasts political mutual trust, effective cooperation, and commitment to the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit. Such strengths have paved the way for its member states to enhance cooperation and jointly deal with the economic crisis and other challenges.

With three fifths of the land area in Eurasia and a quarter of the world's population, the SCO member states can share rich natural, market and human resources to realize the great potential in economic cooperation.

The strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Russia, the strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan, and the friendly partnership of cooperation between China and Uzbekistan have laid a solid foundation for multilateral cooperation among members.

In the new trend of world development, when peace, collaboration and growth are the key words, it is believed that the SCO would shoulder more expectation and responsibilities.