DUSHANBE, 16.09.2022 (NIAT Khovar) – DUSHANBE, 16.09.2022 (NIAT Khovar) – The Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon took part in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of the Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The meeting was held under the presidency of Uzbekistan in both narrow and expanded-formats. The meeting was attended by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of China Xi Jinping, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, and President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh attended as heads of SCO observer state delegations.  The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan    participated as guests of the presiding state.

The Secretary-General of the SCO Zhang Ming and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO Ruslan Mirzayev also took part in the meeting.

The participants discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation within the SCO, exchanged views on the current regional and international issues in the context of the development of the political and economic situation.

In his speech, President Rahmon mentioned that over the past two decades within the SCO, it has been possible to establish a model of mutually beneficial partnership, the effectiveness of which has been ensured by the equality of all member nations and decision-making based on the agreement of the parties.

Speaking about climate change, he noted the impossibly of building a stable economic system of the states without the promotion of «green energy» and the creation of efficient transport infrastructure within the territory of the SCO.

“The issue of ensuring regional security should remain a priority of SCO’s activities,” said President Rahmon.

Taking into account the alarming situation in Afghanistan, he noted the necessity of strengthening efforts to fight terrorism, extremism, separatism, illegal drug trafficking, and cross-border crime.

He pointed to the dangerous trend of spreading the ideology of religious radicalism and extremism and called on the SCO member states to jointly monitor the situation and act to prevent possible risks to security.

He also expressed concern about the rise in drug smuggling from Afghanistan and noted the importance of establishing a separate structure of the organization to fight against the illicit circulation of drugs.

He also noted that last year’s initiative regarding the adoption of the Strategy for the Economic Development of the SCO Region until 2030 should be prepared and submitted for approval at the next meeting of the SCO.

A series of documents was adopted following the meeting, including the Samarkand Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, The Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027, and The Concept of Cooperation of the SCO Member Nations for the Development of Connectivity and the Creation of Efficient Transport Corridors.

The decision to launch the procedure for Belarus’ accession to the SCO was adopted. Bahrain, Maldives, Kuwait, UAE, and Myanmar have become SCO dialogue partners.

Concluding his speech, President Rahmon congratulated the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his chairmanship in the next term.