Lavrov arrives in Uzbekistan to attend session of Council of SCO foreign ministers

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that the meeting would be crucial for preparing the SCO summit that will take place in Tashkent in a month from now on June 23-24 and will be devoted to the 15th anniversary of the SCO foundation. The Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states will consider the drafts of documents and decisions to be submitted to a session of the Council of the SCO Heads of State. For the moment, the list comprises 14 various documents, including the Tashkent declaration on the SCO 15th anniversary; an action plan for 2016-2020 designed to implement the Strategy of the SCO development until 2025 as well as a number of projects designed to further promote cooperation in the struggle against terrorism; extremism, organized crime and illegal trade in drugs. "The Russian side is determined to ensure qualitative and substantial preparations for the SCO jubilee summit," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that security issues should be the SCO’s priority. In this connection, the SCO foreign ministers are working on a package of documents aimed at deepening interaction in this field. "The SCO expansion, the admittance of India and Pakistan into the organization, occupy a special place on the agenda. For the moment, the SCO members are Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In compliance with decisions of the 2015 Ufa summit, the SCO is carrying out efforts to fully involve India and Pakistan in the SCO work. "We are convinced that such a step will contribute to strengthening the SCO political and economic potential and its authority in the international arena," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed. The Council of SCO Foreign Ministers will also consider urgent regional and global problems at its session on May 24. The Council will build its work on the basis of the 2016-2020 Action Plan to implement the Strategy of SCO development until 2025. The Russian Foreign Ministry added that the key results of the discussion (at the Council of SCO Foreign Ministers session) would be enshrined in a news bulletin. Read more