On May 11, 2012, the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi chaired the meeting. Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov attended the meeting.
In a friendly and cooperative atmosphere, the meeting made political preparations for the SCO summit to be held in Beijing in June this year. The foreign ministers also discussed the important cooperation items within the SCO framework, raised recommendations on the future steps and exchanged views on the international and regional situation.
Yang said that the world today is undergoing great development, changes and adjustments. Both the international and regional situation remains complicated and regional hotspot issues keep emerging, bringing many unstable and uncertain factors to the security and development of the region. Countries in the region are committed to speeding up the economic construction and maintaining social stability, which will create more opportunities for the development of the SCO. Under new circumstances, we should comprehensively and thoroughly implement the consensus reached by leaders of the member states, strengthen cooperation, consolidate mutual trust, give top priority to security and pragmatic cooperation, adhere to the new concepts of security, cooperation, development and civilization advocated by the SCO and step up communication, coordination and collaboration on major international and regional issues. China is willing to work with other member states to promote the development of the SCO towards the established goal of building a harmonious region with lasting peace and common prosperity.
The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the positive progress made by the SCO in various fields over the past year, especially the success of the "good-neighborly friendship year" activities. They believe that under new circumstances the SCO should better fulfill its functions, effectively boost the pragmatic cooperation of member states and make unremitting efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability and promote common development. They agree to continue to improve the capacity of handling new threats and challenges, enhance the crisis early warning and emergency response capabilities, deepen cooperation to fight against the "three forces", drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes, strengthen cooperation on information security and jointly cope with the financial, energy and food security issues. Member states should expand cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, communications, agriculture and innovation, gradually set up a special account of the SCO, development bank or other credit institutions and vigorously promote cultural exchanges.
They believe that the SCO should continue to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with the observer countries, dialogue partners, the United Nations and other friendly countries and organizations.
They agree to make joint efforts to ensure the success of the SCO summit in Beijing. The draft of the strategic plan on the SCO's medium-term development was adopted by the meeting and will be submitted to the Beijing summit for consideration and approval.
The foreign ministers expressed concern over the situation in Afghanistan and West Asia and North Africa. They believe that the SCO member states should continue to play a constructive role to promote the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan and appeal to the related parties to abide by the Charter of the United Nations and norms of international law, respect the choice of countries and people in the region and ensure peace, stability, prosperity and progress in the relevant areas.
They listened to the work reports of the SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliev and Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Dzhenisbek Dzhumanbekov.
After the meeting, the foreign ministers signed the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting resolution and jointly met the press.
On the same day, they also attended the opening ceremony of the new premises of the SCO Secretariat.