Participants in the event signed 17 different documents, the main one being the Qingdao Declaration
QINDAO / China /, 10 June. / TASS /. With the adoption of the Qingdao Declaration and the signing of a package of documents, the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao was concluded.
The summit, as highlighted in various official statements, will go down in the history of the organization as the first meeting that took place already in the format of the "Shanghai eight" after the entry of India and Pakistan into the membership of full-fledged members of the association.
The events in the framework of the summit began on June 9, when the leaders of the SCO countries held a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings, at which they discussed the most pressing issues on the regional and international agenda.
The very meeting of the leaders of the SCO member states opened on June 10. It reviewed the implementation of the agreements reached at the previous summit in Astana, and outlined the tasks for key areas for further development of the SCO. The results of the summit were reflected in the adopted Qingdao Declaration, which was signed by the leaders of all member countries of the organization.
Meetings of the Summit
The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, who presided at the summit, addressing the SCO heads of state at a narrow-level meeting, pointed out that the organization, which in the region, and worldwide, is now pinning high hopes, became even stronger after the joining of the SCO by India and Pakistan. "We are taking ever greater responsibility for ensuring stability and security, as well as promoting development and prosperity in the region," the PRC President stated. "China is ready, together with the members of the organization, to sum up the experience of development, analyze the situation in the region and in the world, outline the prospects for cooperation, and also strive to ensure the sustainable and long-term development of the SCO," the Chinese leader thus pointed out the position of Beijing to meeting, which in a narrow composition was held behind closed doors.
Later, the leaders traditionally gathered in an expanded format and held a meeting with the participation of the heads of observer countries and representatives of international organizations. Opening this part of the summit, Xi Jinping drew the attention of foreign leaders to the need for greater cohesion and mutual trust among the SCO member states. "It is necessary to multiply the power, solidarity and strength of mutual trust, it is important to fully implement the Qingdao Declaration, the plan of action to implement the provisions of the agreement on long-term good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation of the SCO countries," Xi Jinping said, adding that all countries of the association should respect the independent development path, take into account each other's key interests, strengthen mutual understanding, strengthen harmony and cohesion by seeking agreement on resolving differences.
Xi Jinping in his speech spoke about a just world order, the "Shanghai spirit," cooperation, the principles of equality and mutual respect. "Although in the modern world there is still a hegemony and a policy of force, my call for a more just and rational world order attracts attention," the Chinese leader stressed. According to him, "although there are always different traditional and non-traditional threats to security, but the forces defending peace will prevail over the destructive forces, and security and stability remain the common aspiration of all peoples." "Despite the fact that one-sided approaches are becoming more evident, with trade protectionism and anti-globalization, the ideas of cooperation and common profit remain the main trends of the world," Xi Jinping stressed.
The PRC President also announced that China, within the framework of the SCO interbank association, is launching a targeted loan program of 30 billion yuan (about $ 4.7 billion).
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, addressing the participants in the enlarged session, noted that the project of a large Eurasian partnership, which is being worked out by Russia and China, will be open to all SCO countries. "Russia and China are preparing a project on the Eurasian Economic Partnership, it will, of course, be open to connect all the SCO countries," the Russian leader said. In his speech, the Russian president called the development of economic relations an important area of the SCO's activities, and also called for other steps that lead to increased coordination of efforts in the implementation of trade and investment projects through the Eurasian Economic Community and the Chinese program One Belt, One Way.
Rustam Alimov, Secretary General of the SCO, who took the session at the meeting, also made statements on further directions of the organization's development and assessments of key regional and international problems. He drew attention to the fact that the organization became a leader in the process of democratization of international relations. "Building on the SCO Charter, the organization acts as a leader in the process of democratization of international relations, the formation of a human community of common destiny." The demand for SCO as an active participant in the process of forming a multipolar world has increased," Alimov said, adding that "the creation of an effective global and regional architecture of security and cooperation from now on it is difficult to imagine without the participation of the SCO."
The Qingdao Declaration
The main result of the SCO summit was the adoption of the Qingdao Declaration. The leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as India and Pakistan, added their signitures at the signing of this document at the 18th meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the SCO member states at a solemn ceremony in the presence of journalists.
The document begins with assessments by the leaders of the SCO countries of what is happening on the world stage. "The dynamically developing world is currently undergoing a period of major changes and serious reconfiguration, the geopolitical landscape is becoming diversified and multipolar, ties between countries are becoming closer, while factors of instability and uncertainty are intensifying, the situation in the world economy, despite the positive changes, remains unstable, the process of economic globalization is facing increasing unilateral protectionist measures and other challenges in international trade, risks are increasing, with the escalation of conflicts in a number of regions, the sharp growth of threats of terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, epidemics of infectious diseases, and climate change. Countering these global challenges requires the urgent development of collective and effective approaches of the world community," the declaration reads.
It also mentions what the Chinese leader repeatedly emphasized during the summit - the "Shanghai spirit", which embodies mutual trust, equality, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for joint development.
The document also contains an assessment of the prospects that opened before the SCO after the joining of the organization by India and Pakistan. "The member states note the new quality and dynamics that have been developing cooperation in various fields since the accession of the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the SCO and intend to jointly promote the further development of the organization's potential in all areas, based on strict observance of international agreements and SCO documents, directions of its activities, "the declaration stresses.
The Qingdao Declaration reflects for the most part those principles on the basis of which the SCO will build on its further development, and also identifies the most priority areas of cooperation for the countries of the region. It says in it about the need to step up the fight against terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking, maintaining a commitment to peaceful outer space and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The document also mentions key international problems that require an early solution. These include the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, the Middle East and the Korean peninsula and other regional conflicts within the framework of universally recognized norms and principles of international law. The importance of implementing the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan for the settlement of the situation around the Iranian nuclear program was noted.
Package of documents
In total, following the results of the summit, the leaders of the SCO member states adopted and signed 17 documents. Among them, in particular, the decision of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states on the approval of the Action Plan for 2018-2022 on the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on Long-term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States and the document on the approval of the SCO Cooperation Program in Countering terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2019-2021.
A decision was also signed to approve the Antarctic Strategy of the SCO member states for 2018-2023 and the Program of Action for its implementation. As a result of the summit, an information message was received, which was also signed by the leaders of the member countries of the organization.
China transfers chairmanship to Kyrgyzstan
Summing up the results of the summit in a statement to the press after signing the documents, President Xi Jinping said that the leaders of the SCO member countries agreed to adhere to the concept of indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security. "We unanimously believe that security is the cornerstone of the development of the SCO. The parties will adhere to the concept of indivisible, integrated, joint and sustainable security, properly implement the Shanghai Convention against the "three forces of evil", the Convention against Terrorism and the Convention on Countering Extremism, deepen exchange of antiterrorist information and joint operations, strengthen the relevant legal framework, own potential, effectively combat three forces of evil, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and cybercrime, to fully exploit the role of the contact group SCO-Afghanistan to jointly defend the security and stability in our region", - said the Chinese leader.
According to him, at the summit there was a unanimous protest against trade protectionism in all its manifestations. "It is necessary to protect the authority of the existing rules of the World Trade Organization, strengthen the open, transparent, non-discriminatory and rule-based multilateral trading system, resist protectionism in all its manifestations, defend adherence to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win," he said, adding that the parties "will improve the structure of regional economic cooperation, strengthen joint work to implement the" One belt, one way "initiative and its conjugation with other development strategies ".
According to him, at the summit it was decided that the baton of the chairmanship in the association will be taken by Kyrgyzstan, where next year the next meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states will take place.
Another decision of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO was the appointment of the representative of Uzbekistan, Vladimir Norov, as the new general secretary of the organization for the period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021.
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/5281240
