[Title] JOINT COMMUNIQUE Meeting of the Council of Heads of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
A regular meeting of the Council of Heads of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held on August 16, 2007 in Bishkek. The meeting was attended by President N. Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China, President K. Bakiev of the Kyrgyz Republic, President V. Putin of the Russian Federation, President E. Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan, President I. Karimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
B. Nurgaliev, Secretary-General of the SCO and M. Subanov, Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Antiterrorist Structure (RATS) participated in the meeting.
The meeting was attended and addressed by senior representatives of the SCO observer states – M. Deora, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Republic of India, President M. Ahmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran, President N. Enkhbayar of Mongolia, H. Kasuri, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and guests of the presiding host state - President H. Karzai of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, President G. Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan and L. Pascoe, UN Under Secretary-General.
Pursuant to the agreement reached at the commemorative meeting of the Council of the SCO Heads of State (Shanghai, June 15, 2006), the heads of state signed the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The leaders of the six countries signed the Bishkek Declaration and approved a Plan of Actions of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Ensuring International Information Security (IIS), prepared as a follow-up of the Statement of the Heads of the SCO Member States on International Information Security of 15 June 2006 year.
The authorized representatives of the SCO member states signed an agreement on Intergovernmental Cultural Cooperation among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States.
The heads of state attended the opening of the Third SCO Art Festival.
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In the spirit of friendship and understanding typical of the SCO, the heads of state have reviewed the progress made by the SCO since the previous meeting of the Council of Heads of State, reached agreement on future steps to promote all-round cooperation within the SCO framework, and had an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation.
The heads of state noted with satisfaction that the goal of deepening and expanding multifaceted cooperation among the member states set at the Shanghai Summit of 2006 had been basically met. The signing of the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation among the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization signifies a new type of relations of mutual trust within the SCO. A number of agreements on cooperation in specific areas will be elaborated to implement the Treaty.
The heads of state agreed that there is an increasing need for closer cooperation among parliaments and supreme courts of the member states and for information sharing in the legislative field to improve the relevant legal framework of the SCO member states.
Broadened mandate of the Secretariat and assigning the status of the SCO chief executive officer to its Secretary-General has contributed to the institutional consolidation of the Organization. The SCO RATS has consistently intensified its activities and increased the role of its Council and the Executive Committee in strengthening RATS position in regional and international counterterrorism cooperation.
The heads of state have stressed the importance of the implementation of the Program of Cooperation of the SCO Member States on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2007-2009. They agreed on the need to crack down harder on terrorist financing and money laundering.
The heads of state have noted the effectiveness of joint counterterrorism exercises and importance of the agreements reached at the third meeting of the secretaries of national security councils and the meeting of the defense ministers of the SCO members, which took place in Bishkek on May 25, 2007 and June 27, 2007 respectively.
The heads of state have accepted the invitation of President V. Putin of the Russian Federation to attend the active phase of the Peace Mission 2007 joint counterterrorism military exercise to be conducted by the armed forces of the SCO members in Russia on August 17, 2007.
The heads of state have welcomed the work of the SCO International Information Security Expert Group and encouraged the Group to continue its activities.
The heads of state have noted successful implementation of the Plan of Actions on Emergency Relief Cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2007-2008.
The heads of state have expressed their views on the SCO cooperation in tackling illegal migration and managing migrant workers flows.
The heads of state have underscored the importance of taking preventive measures to guard against destabilizing factors in the SCO region and of accelerated establishment of a mechanism for joint response to threats to peace, stability and security in the region.
The heads of state have emphasized the need to deepen cooperation in fighting trafficking of narcotics, psychotropic drugs and their precursors on the basis of the Agreement of June 17, 2004. The competent authorities of the SCO members should strengthen cooperation and share experience in the prevention of drug addiction, rehabilitation of drug addicts and countering drug trafficking.
To enhance the SCO efforts to maintain stability and security and promote economic cooperation in Central Asia, the heads of state have explored the possibility to tap the SCO's potential in addressing the issue of Afghanistan through the SCO-Afghanistan Liaison Group and other acceptable formats.
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The heads of state hold that the SCO economic cooperation has entered the stage of implementing relevant plans and agreements, as well as pilot projects in energy, transportation and telecommunications and other fields involving and benefiting all participants.
Given the important role of the SCO Business Council and the Interbank Association in this regard, the heads of state have welcomed the signing of the cooperation agreement between them.
The heads of state have highlighted the importance of maintaining close coordination and elaborating common positions among the SCO member states in the energy sector. The energy component of the SCO cooperation should be based on the principle of openness to all countries and organizations that share the SCO’s objectives and goals.
The heads of state have noted the significance of joint efforts in the area of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources.
The heads of state have expressed readiness to review the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic to designate the 20th of February as the World Social Justice Day at the next session of the UN General Assembly.
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Convinced that the younger generation will carry on the torch of friendship among the peoples of the SCO states, the heads of state have welcomed the intention of youth organizations to intensify contacts within the SCO framework.
The heads of state have noted the important role of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in strengthening friendship among nations. The SCO member states will actively assist China in ensuring the success of the Games, inter alia, in terms of security arrangements.
The heads of state have welcomed the decision of the International Olympic Committee to select Sochi as the venue for the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.
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The heads of state have appreciated the SCO increased external ties and stressed the need to promote cooperation with the observer states in various fields.
The legal framework for SCO's external relations will continue to be improved.
The heads of state have noted the need to deepen SCO's cooperation with the CIS, Eurasia Economic Community and ASEAN on the basis of the existing memoranda of understanding.
The heads of state have supported building ties between the SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization to ensure coordination of efforts aimed at strengthening regional and international security and addressing new threats and challenges.
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The heads of state have highly appreciated the chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic in the SCO and the hospitality offered during the Bishkek Summit.
The next meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO Member States will be held in 2008 in Dushanbe, as the Republic of Tajikistan is chairing the Organization in the coming period.
The meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states in 2009 will be held in Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation).