Presidents from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan adopted at their summit meeting here Friday the Charter for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which the leaders said lays a firm legal foundation for future development of the six-nation organization.
The SCO was inaugurated in Shanghai, China, last year on the basis of the former Shanghai Five, a regional forum on security and trade and economic cooperation among the SCO member countries except Uzbekistan.
In the Charter, the six countries agreed to further upgrade their cooperation in all areas possible and make joint efforts to contribute to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.
They are convinced that with the establishment of the SCO, member countries will be able to meet new challenges and even face up to threats in a more effective manner. They also agreed that cooperation and coordination within the framework of the SCO would help tap the great potential of unity and cooperation among member countries and their peoples.
The Charter also defined joint actions to crack down upon all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism and other cross-border crimes as one of the organization's basic tasks.
Meanwhile, the SCO encourages its members to start cooperation in all areas of their interest, such as politics, trade, economy, defense, environment, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, and finance.
It is also pronounced in the Charter that the SCO is not meant to target at any other country or international organization. On the contrary, it seeks to maintain peace and increase trust and security in the region.
The secretariat of the SCO, a permanent unit of administration which is responsible for coordinating activities within the framework of the SCO, is based in Beijing, China, according to the Charter.
(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2002)
