[Title] JOINT COMMUNIQUE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

An extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO CMFA) was held on September 5, 2003 in Tashkent. It was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China Li Zhaoxing, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic A. Aytmatov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation I. Ivanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan T. Nazarov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Safaev.

The CMFA meeting was chaired by the Uzbek side.

I

The ministers concluded that in the period since the Moscow meeting of the heads of the SCO member states on May 29, 2003, the Council of National Coordinators had done considerable work on the implementation of the summit agreements related to the completion of the organizational phase of the SCO founding and the launch of its permanent bodies - the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist structure (RATS) in Tashkent not later than January 1, 2004.

The meeting considered and adopted proposals of the Council of National Coordinators on the issues of the distribution of quota posts in the SCO Secretariat among member states and the structure and staffing of the RATS Executive Committee. The meeting supported the initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to hold the first meeting of the RATS Council at the end of October - early November this year in Tashkent. Appreciation has been expressed to the Chinese and Uzbek sides for providing necessary facilities for the accommodation of the SCO permanent bodies in Beijing and Tashkent respectively. The ministers have instructed the national coordinators to intensify the activities of the working groups established in Beijing and Tashkent and composed of the representatives of the interested Chinese and Uzbek ministries and agencies and diplomatic missions of the member states to China and Uzbekistan in order to prepare and ensure the speedy launch of the SCO mechanisms.

The ministers have instructed the national coordinators to prepare proposals needed to launch, starting November 1, 2003, the operations of the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and the RATS Executive Committee in Tashkent .

The Protocols have been signed on Introducing Amendments to the SCO Charter, the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism and the Agreement on the RATS related to the relocation of the RATS headquarters from Bishkek to Tashkent.

The ministers believe that the decision of the SCO member states' heads on relocating the RATS Executive Committee from Bishkek to Tashkent will optimize location and interaction of anti-terrorist forces in Central Asian and enhance the efficiency of the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

High appreciation has been expressed to the Kyrgyz Republic for its role of the RATS establishment initiator and coordinator for elaboration of regulatory documents governing its activities, and, in addition, gratitude has been expressed to the Kyrgyz side for its constructive approach to the issue of the relocation of the RATS Executive Committee from Bishkek to Tashkent.

In order to ensure the effective functioning of the SCO, in particular of its two permanent bodies, the ministers consider it necessary to accelerate the preparation of the draft Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the SCO, the Agreement between the Government of the PRC and the SCO on the Headquarters of the SCO Secretariat in the PRC and the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the SCO on the Headquarters of the SCO RATS Executive Committee in the Republic of Uzbekistan in order to finalize them before the end of 2003.

The ministers have reaffirmed the urgency of developing a multilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors before the end of this year as was decided by the Moscow SCO summit.

The ministers have noted the particular importance for the implementation of the Moscow summit decisions, deepened regional economic cooperation between the six countries and further development of the Organization, of the forthcoming meeting of the heads of government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO member states scheduled for the third decade of September this year in Beijing. Its preparations that have already started, should focus on decisions that will define long-term policy objectives and specific methods of establishing and promoting multilateral economic cooperation within the SCO in a number of on-going and future directions.

It has been agreed that from this CMFA meeting and until the meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states in 2004, the Republic of Uzbekistan will be presiding in the SCO.

II

The international agenda was discussed with the focus on the upcoming 58th session of the UN General Assembly. It has been stressed that the transnational nature of the globalization challenges and threats calls for the gradual consolidation of the international community through multilateral dialogue and collective action. The coordinating role should be played by the United Nations as a universal organization with unique experience in promoting international peace. The UN needs to consistently adapt to the evolving international realities, with the understanding that the reforms, based on clear and distinct criteria, will improve the UN and its Security Council efficiency.

The ministers have reaffirmed the importance of an early establishment of the UN based Global system to address threats and challenges that would include multilateral cooperation mechanisms combining measures of political, economic, and social nature. The SCO could become an integral part of such a system.

The ministers consider an urgent task for the international community to strengthen the international legal framework against terrorism, including an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on Combating International Terrorism and the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

The Parties has confirmed their interest in ensuring that Central Asia remains a region of peace and stability, and in this regard they have stressed the importance of implementing provisions of the SCO Charter and the Joint Statement of the Heads of State of June 14, 2001.

The meeting has confirmed a common desire to further intensify the SCO cooperation in Central Asia and around the region in the fight against terrorism, extremism, separatism and drug threat.

The ministers have called for the enhancement of the SCO links with relevant international organizations as part of the overall efforts of the international community coordinated by the UN.

The meeting has stressed the importance and vital need for the full integration of Central Asia into the global system of political, trade and economic relations based on equality, mutual benefit and democratic ideals.

The ministers believe that the Central Asian region, which by virtue of its geographical location has enormous transit potential, should be made an integral part of intercontinental transport corridors.

The meeting supported the efforts of the Afghanistan Interim Government to stabilize the situation in the country. It has been noted that a constitutional Loya Jirga needs to be convened and general election held in 2004 according to the schedule set forth by the inter-Afghan Bonn Agreement. The meeting has stressed the importance of strict compliance with the provisions of the Declaration on Good Neighbourly Relations adopted in December 2002 in Kabul.

The ministers have noted the need to develop under the UN auspices an international strategy for comprehensive response to the Afghan drug threat and they have confirmed the willingness of the SCO member states to cooperate closely with the UN and other international organizations in the framework of the United Nations Program on Drug Control.

The ministers have reaffirmed that the SCO member states support the efforts of the international community aimed at the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan and called for the improvement of the multilateral support to that country and its economic development.

The ministers have stressed the urgency of preserving the territorial integrity of Iraq and ensure the sovereign rights of the Iraqi people to elect a legitimate, internationally recognized and representative government. They have noted the need to consistently increase the UN role in the political settlement of the situation around Iraq. In this regard, they have welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1500, which, inter alia, provides for the establishment of the UN Mission to assist Iraq. The safety of its staff must be ensured though.

The meeting has confirmed the SCO member states willingness to make contributions to the peaceful reconstruction of Iraq, implementation of humanitarian projects and provision of health care, construction of roads and communications.

The ministers welcomed the commencement of the six-party talks for a peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

They expressed support for the full and consistent implementation by the parties to the Middle East conflict of the "road map" plan developed by the "Quartet" of international mediators - Russia, United States, European Union and United Nations and advancement of the peace process on the basis of relevant UN resolutions.

III

The ministers noted with satisfaction that the SCO establishment, its declared goals and objectives, process of its establishment and development of cooperation in the framework of the Organization had been positively perceived in the world. A number of countries and international organizations have expressed interest in establishing contacts with the SCO and in tapping the capacity of the Organization to address the critical issues of the modern world.

The ministers have reaffirmed the SCO willingness to contribute to the elaboration of concrete and effective measures to ensure stability and security both in the SCO area and on a larger scale and to this end cooperate with respective states and international associations, regardless of their geographical location.

On the basis of the Interim Scheme for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization relations with other international organizations and states, adopted on November 23, 2002, the SCO representatives took part in the meeting of the Counter-Terrorism UN Security Council Committee held on March 6, 2003, in the Vienna meeting of the OSCE Partners for Co-operation on April 11, 2003, in the fifth high-level meeting of the UN and regional organizations on July 29-30, 2003 in New York, and in the Lisbon OSCE meeting on prevention of terrorism and counter-terrorism on September 1-2, 2003.

Aiming to consistently develop SCO relations with other states and international organizations, the ministers have instructed the Council of National Coordinators, in line with the SCO Charter provisions, to proceed to drafting documents defining the status of the SCO observer and of the SCO dialogue partner, as well as governing the process of the Organization's interaction with other international institutions and states in certain areas.

Tashkent, September 5, 2003