DUSHANBE - The 14th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held here in the Tajik capital on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, together with leaders of other SCO member countries, is attending the Dushanbe summit.

The SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also has Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as its observers, and Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka as dialogue partners.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will preside over the summit, while Xi is expected to deliver an important speech.

The Dushanbe summit will discuss regional security and economic cooperation. Leaders will exchange views on current international and regional issues of major concern.

Leaders will also sign and issue the Dushanbe Declaration, approve a series of documents on SCO expansion, and pass a resolution on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

An agreement on the facilitation of international road transport among the SCO member states is also likely.