Dushanbe, 24.06.2016. /NIAT «Khovar»/. A summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State marking the organisation’s 15th anniversary began its work on June 24 in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

At the venue of the meeting of Council of Heads of SCO member states the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and other heads of state and senior officials were met by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.

After a joint photo session took place a meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO member states in the narrow format, which was attended by top officials from Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

The expanded format was also attended by the heads of observer countries — the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Belarus, Mongolia and high-ranking representatives of international and regional organizations.

SCO dialogue partners are Turkey, Sri Lanka, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Nepal, Cambodia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in his speech at the meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States initially expressed gratitude to the Uzbek side and Islam Karimov for the excellent organization of this summit and hospitality.

In addition, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon congratulated the participants of the summit to mark the 15th anniversary of the Organization, and the heads of Pakistan and India with the entry of their countries in the SCO.

During his speech on the activities of the organization, the development and adoption of programs Head of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has expressed the hope that the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025 will provide a real basis for the development of the organization, and Tajikistan has supported the adoption of the Action Plan for implementation of the strategy for the next 5 years. The program will allow that Member States bring cooperation to a qualitatively new level, strengthen the organization’s role in solving regional and global problems.

The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon put forward concrete proposals in connection with the action plan of SCO member states, including: strengthening the collective struggle against modern threats and challenges in order to ensure regional and global stability and security, accelerate the process of the creation of the Bank and SCO Development Fund in order to strengthen economic relations, the development and implementation of investment projects of regional significance.

The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon also stressed the readiness of the country to support the early adoption of the UN Convention on the fight against international terrorism.

Emomali Rahmon told about other aspects of the cooperation of Member States in the economic, energy, transport and transit, cultural and humanitarian spheres, reiterated the firm position of Tajikistan to strengthen them.

Following the statements by the heads of SCO member states a number of documents were signed .

A successful outcome of the meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states the accession of Pakistan and India to the SCO, as well as the Tashkent Declaration.

During a press conference with the participation of a wide range of media representatives, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the SCO Secretary-General Rashid Olimov briefed about the results of the meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.