Shanghai bloc has turned into world’s biggest transregional union - secretary general

BEIJING, June 5. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has turned into the world’s biggest transregional union, and its influence on global affairs will only grow with time, Secretary General Rashid Alimov said in an interview with TASS ahead of a SCO summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao. "It will be no exaggeration to say one thing: the SCO is an organization of a new kind, which has already proved to be a popular platform for harmonizing the national interests of member states with regional ones," the secretary general said. "By the same token, it is a common fact that with the accession of India and Pakistan - two large Asian countries - the organization turned into the world’s biggest transregional union as far as the total area of its members goes, as well as their total population and economic capacities," Alimov stressed. He said the accession of new powerful states has "not only ensured the organization’s practical achievements but also paved the way for its growing credibility both at the regional and international level". Nowadays, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization incorporates "permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, four nuclear powers, the largest oil, gas and consumer goods producers," he stressed. "The SCO space holds about 20% of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The unique and lively cultures of people living throughout this space attract more tourists and travelers every year," the secretary general stressed. "The SCO has become a global organization and its influence on global affairs will only grow with time, while given the values that member states jointly promote on the international stage, the organization will facilitate the construction of an international relations system that will embody reciprocal respect, justice, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation," he summed up. Read more