Declaration on the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
( 2003-05-28 15:33 ) (Xinhua)

The heads of State of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Attaching great value to the positive role of the Shanghai Five over the five years of its existence in promoting and intensifying relations of good-neighborliness, mutual trust and friendship among the member States, strengthening peace and stability in the region and facilitating joint development,

Unanimously believing that the establishment and development of the Shanghai Five was in keeping with the needs of mankind and the historic trend towards peace and development in the conditions which prevailed after the end of the cold war and opened out enormous potential for good-neighborliness, unity and cooperation through mutual respect and mutual trust among States belonging to different civilizations and having different cultural traditions,

Particularly noting that the agreements on confidence-building in the military field and on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area signed in Shanghai and Moscow in 1996 and 1997 respectively by the heads of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan, and also the final documents signed during the meetings at Alma Ata (1998), Bishkek (1999) and Dushanbe (2000), made an important contribution to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region and throughout the world, significantly enriched the practice of modern diplomacy and regional cooperation and had a broad and positive influence on the international community,

Being firmly convinced that in the context of the dynamic development of the processes of political multipolarity and of globalization in the economic and information spheres in the twenty-first century, the progression of the Shanghai Five mechanism to a higher level of cooperation will help in making more effective joint use of the possibilities which are opening out and in withstanding new challenges and threats,

Solemnly declare the following:

1. The People's Republic of China, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan hereby establish the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

2. The goals of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are: to strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness between the member States; to encourage effective cooperation between them in the political, trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural, educational, energy, transport, environmental and other spheres; and to undertake joint efforts for the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region, and the building of a new, democratic, just and rational international political and economic order.

3. Within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, annual official meetings of the heads of State and regular meetings of the heads of Government of the member States shall be held alternately in each of the member States. In order to expand and intensify cooperation in all spheres, new mechanisms may be established, as necessary, in addition to the existing mechanisms for meetings of the heads of the relevant departments, and also permanent and temporary expert working groups may be convened to study plans and proposals on the further development of cooperation.

4. The "Shanghai spirit" formed in the process of the development of the Shanghai Five, characterized by mutual trust, mutual advantage, equality, joint consultations, respect for cultural diversity and the desire for joint development, is an invaluable asset gained by the countries of the region over the years of cooperation. It will grow, and in the new century will become the norm in relations among the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

5. The States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization firmly adhere to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, equal rights and mutual advantage, resolution of all issues through joint consultations, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use or threat of use of military force, and renunciation of unilateral military advantage in contiguous areas.

6. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been established on the basis of the agreements on confidence-building in the military field and on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area signed in Shanghai and Moscow in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Cooperation within its framework is already under way in political, trade and economic, cultural, scientific and technical and other spheres. The principles embodied in the aforementioned agreements define the basis for relations between the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

7. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not an alliance directed against other States and regions and it adheres to the principle of openness. It declares its willingness to develop dialogue, contacts and cooperation of all kinds with other States and appropriate international and regional organizations and, on the basis of consensus, to admit as new members States which share the objectives and goals of cooperation within the framework of the organization and the principles set forth in paragraph 6 and also other provisions of this Declaration and whose admission may help achieve that cooperation.

8. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization attaches priority to regional security and shall make all necessary efforts to maintain it. The member States shall engage in close cooperation with a view to the implementation of the Shanghai Convention on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, including the establishment of a regional anti-terrorist structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with headquarters in Bishkek. In addition, appropriate multilateral documents shall be drawn up on cooperation in curbing illicit trafficking in arms and narcotic drugs, illegal migration and other types of criminal activity.

9. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has enormous potential and broad possibilities for mutually advantageous cooperation of the member States in the trade and economic sphere and shall make efforts to promote the further development and diversification of cooperation among member States at the bilateral and multilateral levels. To this end, within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a negotiating process shall be undertaken on the establishment of favorable conditions for trade and investments, a long-term program of multilateral trade and economic cooperation shall be drawn up, and also the relevant documents shall be signed.

10. The States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization shall strengthen the consultation mechanism and coordinate action on regional issues and international problems, provide mutual support and develop close cooperation on major international and regional issues, and jointly facilitate the consolidation of peace and stability in the region and throughout the world, believing that the preservation of global strategic balance and stability in the current international situation is of particular importance.

11. In order to coordinate cooperation and organize interaction between the competent ministries and departments of the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a council of national coordinators of the member States of this organization is hereby established.

The activities of this council shall be determined by the provisional statute approved by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the member States.

The council of national coordinators shall be instructed, on the basis of this Declaration and the documents adopted earlier by the heads of State in the framework of the Shanghai Five, to formulate a draft Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which shall contain a clear set of provisions on the goals, object, objectives and directions of future cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the principles and procedure for the admission of new members, the legal force of the decisions adopted by it and means of cooperation with other international organizations, and shall submit it for signature during the meeting of heads of State in 2002.

In analysing the experience of the past and assessing future prospects, the heads of the member States firmly believe that the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization marks the beginning of a new stage in the development of cooperation among the member States and is in keeping with the trends of the modern era, the realities of this region, and the fundamental interests of the peoples of all the member States.

(Signed) Jiang Zemin  President of the People's Republic of China

(Signed) N. A. Nazarbaev  President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

(Signed) A. A. Akayev  President of the Kyrgyz Republic

(Signed) V. V. Putin  President of the Russian Federation

(Signed) E. S. Rakhmonov  President of the Republic of Tajikistan

(Signed) I. Karimov  President of the Republic of Uzbekistan