Prime ministers of the six members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agreed that their consultation Tuesday marks the SCO regional economic cooperation has got onto a normal track.

The prime ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended a press briefing after their formal talks in Beijing, and signed six documents including an agreement on multilateral regional economic cooperation.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the signing of the agreement that calls for multilateral economic and trade cooperation among SCO members was the greatest achievement of the Beijing consultation.

The agreement made clear priority areas, the major tasks at present and the long-term strategy for SCO regional economic cooperation.

The regional economic cooperation among the SCO members began two years ago in the first consultation among the prime ministers of SCO members, and the six SCO members have formed some basic ideas and reached consensus for further development.

Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov said that implementing the agreement for multilateral economic and trade cooperation has become an important task for the SCO members. All SCO members should take positive steps to carry out the agreement for the benefit of the member countries and their people.

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev said the consultation is meaningful, marking a new step in developing economic and trade cooperation of the region.

The consultation has established a local anti-terrorism institution and personnel arrangement, which is helpful for the launching of the SCO permanent body on Jan. 1, 2004, said Tanayev.

He added that the smooth cooperation between the SCO members in the areas of culture, economy and trade and communications will also help promote the SCO in becoming an influential organization in the region and the world.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said the Beijing consultation marks the end of the initial stage of the SCO and starts new engines for the future regional cooperation among the SCO members.

Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov called the Beijing consultation an "historical" event, saying the multilateral economic cooperation is very important for the long-term development of the SCO. He added that the Tajik side will make its greatest efforts to promote the implementation of the agreement.

Uzbek Prime Minister Utkur Sultanov said the Beijing consultation has fully demonstrated the SCO members' will to cooperate more. He expressed his hope that the economic and trade cooperation between the SCO members will be expanded.

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