SCO should remove barriers in trade, capital flow - Putin

TASHKENT, June 24. /TASS/. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called on member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to remove barriers in trade and capital flows. "An important component of SCO’s activities is development of close economic cooperation," the president told a meeting of the member states’ leaders on Friday. "We should continue removing barriers in trade, in movement of capitals and labor force, we should develop industrial and technology cooperation." It is also important to develop in SCO territory "industrial chains" and the transport infrastructures, the Russian president said. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent regional association founded in Shanghai, China, on June 15, 2001. Its priority tasks include joint counteraction to terrorism and extremism; cooperation in education as well as in the energy, oil and gas, transport, communication and other spheres. At present, the SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have an observer status while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partners for dialogue. Read more