Maintaining stability in the Central Asian region will contribute to the security of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This was stated by the Secretary-General of the organization, Zhang Min, speaking in a video conference format at the conference "Central Asia - the Core of the SCO: Space for Peace and Joint Prosperity" in Dushanbe.
"If Central Asia maintains stability, the SCO will enjoy security. If Central Asia achieves development, the SCO will enjoy common prosperity," the secretary-general said.
He emphasized that the SCO welcomes Central Asian countries for bilateral and multilateral cooperation at various levels. Min also expressed hope that the countries of the region will more actively support the development of the organization. "The 'SCO family' countries cooperate to deepen the integration of interests and achieve mutual benefit and mutually beneficial results," he said.
According to him, the SCO covers 25% of the Earth's territory and has a population of about 3.4 billion people, and the total economy of the organization's countries accounts for about 1/4 of the world's GDP. Min emphasized that this is the largest and most densely populated regional international organization in the world and is an "irreplaceable constructive force for maintaining order, promoting regional and global development, and ensuring the security and stability of member states." According to the Secretary-General, the current international situation is undergoing complex and profound changes, and the pace of global economic growth is insufficient, so all countries are facing the difficult problem of where to move forward.
"Central Asian countries are located in the center of the Eurasian continent, they also actively explore their own paths of development and seek the path of peace, cooperation, and mutually beneficial results," he explained, adding that Central Asia is the core of the SCO.
The conference was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic, and the SCO Center in Dushanbe. Heads of missions of member states of the organization participated in the event.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS