DUSHANBE, 14.07.2021, (NIAT Khovar) — On July 13-14, Dushanbe hosted a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO CFM) under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

Before the meeting, the officials met with President of Tajikistan, Chairman of the Council of SCO Heads of States Emomali Rahmon.

The foreign ministers exchanged views on the results of SCO’s activities over the past 20 years and discussed tasks for furthering the development of cooperation within the organization.

They also exchanged views on topical international and regional issues.

It was stated that the SCO has established itself as a new type of authoritative interstate organization and an influential participant in the system of international relations.

The ministers agreed that joint work on the progressive advancement of all issues on the multifaceted agenda of the SCO contributes to strengthening the development of the organization and increasing its international authority.

It was noted that in accordance with the SCO Main Events Plan, as of today, over 50 events have been held by various mechanisms of SCO interaction, including seven events at the ministerial level.

The ministers expressed their readiness to closely cooperate in the organization of 30 other events of the SCO bodies, including 12 at the level of heads of ministries and departments.

The heads of delegations noted that in preparation for the Dushanbe meeting of the Council of Heads of State it is extremely important to follow all anti-epidemic requirements.

The Tajik side noted that according to the decision of the Organizing Committee all persons, without exception, involved in the preparatory work for the summit, are being vaccinated.

The ministers stated that sustainable development in the SCO space is impossible without ensuring an adequate level of security. A Ministerial Council decision was signed to submit to the Dushanbe summit an updated Program of Cooperation between the SCO member states in the fight against terrorism, separatism, and extremism for 2022-2024.

The SCO CFM paid special attention to the situation in Afghanistan. The officials noted their concern over the deteriorating situation in that country as a result of the withdrawal of the coalition forces.

The heads of delegations discussed issues of further deepening cooperation in the economic sphere. The ministers adopted as a basis the Plan of Joint Measures to overcome the negative socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Regulation on the SCO Anthem, initiated by Tajikistan, was agreed for the first time in the history of the organization.

The meeting also focused on issues of strengthening the positioning of the SCO in the international arena.

The ministers noted the strengthening authority of the SCO on the external track and reviewed issues of cooperation between the organization and the UN and its specialized agencies. The ministers welcomed the adoption of the UN-SCO Cooperation Resolution during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

Council members also exchanged views on expanding the composition of the SCO Dialogue Partner institution. Ministerial Council decisions were signed on granting this status to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which will be submitted for approval by the Council of Heads of State.

The ministers approved the report on the work of the SCO Secretariat over the past year and the draft report of the SCO Secretary General on the activities of the organization for the reporting period.

Following the meeting, the officials expressed confidence that its results would make a worthy contribution to the further strengthening of good-neighborliness, friendship, cohesion, mutual trust, and mutually beneficial cooperation between SCO member states.

The SCO CFM meeting is a key event preceding the anniversary SCO summit which will be held on September 16-17 this year in Dushanbe.