Transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech:
Mr Chairman, colleagues,
Next year our organisation will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Today we will exchange opinions on further developing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, review the implementation of our priority cooperative projects and, as is our tradition, focus on economic issues. It is especially important to strengthen our multilateral trade and economic cooperation, to improve our investment ties and to expand cooperation in science, technology and production.
We propose working out a ten-year roadmap of joint actions and define concrete steps to implement a programme of trade and economic cooperation between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states.
We invite observer states, dialogue partners and other interested countries to take part in these initiatives and step up their involvement in key areas of SCO activities. I think we have all the opportunities for collective development, particularly great transit and transport potential within the SCO, above all continental corridors North-South and Asia-Europe. We could promote broad cooperation in this area, and create the right conditions to launch large-scale ambitious international projects.
We agreed with our dialogue partners to expedite the creation of a special SCO account that would become an instrument of financial support for new projects, an account that would accumulate both state and private funds. We also agreed to advance cultural cooperation and exchange of students and specialists. I think it is an important condition for the progress of our organisation and a serious contribution to global human capital, to a wide international dialogue for the benefit of our peoples, which is so important in the modern world where the SCO plays the role of an important bridge between civilizations.
Colleagues, the current situation in the SCO area, and especially the situation in Afghanistan, requires our constant attention to security, to counter-terrorist operations and efforts against the illegal drug trade.
SCO member states took an active part in international conferences devoted to Afghanistan in London last January and in Kabul in July. Russia initiated local discussions on Afghan issues on the eve of the conference.
We are working on the creation of counter-terrorist, counter-narcotic and financial security zones together with the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. We regularly hold large counter-terrorist exercises, for example, Peace Mission-2010 in Kazakhstan.
To put a stop to the illegal drug trafficking, it is necessary to launch a broad anti-drug cooperation involving SCO member countries, observer countries and dialogue partners, as well as other international organisations working in the region.
I think when dealing with terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, we must not limit ourselves strictly to using force and administrative measures. Effective economic and social development is no less important. For this, it is necessary to implement specific infrastructure and energy projects, develop cooperation in various areas of the economy including agriculture, public healthcare and other sectors.
In the spirit of partnership and mutual assistance, SCO member states are doing their best to help our neighbours in Kyrgyzstan, which is now passing through a difficult period. The Kyrgyz president talked about this in her speech: the country received large humanitarian and political support from the SCO. We hope our Kyrgyz partners will be able to resume their quiet and creative work. We are willing to consider other ways to provide overall assistance in this important process. We hope effective government agencies will be formed in Kyrgyzstan in the near future, following parliamentary elections, that will undertake responsibility for the safety and economic development of Kyrgyzstan.
In closing, I want to invite all of you to Russia, where the heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states will meet in 2011. We plan to cooperate closely with all member states, observer states and dialogue partners to jointly address major challenges that our region and thus, our organisation, are facing. Thank you for your attention.
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Before the meeting, Vladimir Putin took part in an official photo session of the heads of government of the SCO member states, observer states, and guests.
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Joint documents are signed following a meeting of the SCO heads of government
1. The Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation made decisions on the following issues:
- SCO Secretariat progress report on the implementation of the Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation between SCO Member States
- Financial report of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on the execution of the SCO budget in 2009
- Budget of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for 2011
- Reports by the SCO Member States External Audit Commission on the external audit of the SCO permanent bodies’ financial and economic activities
- Redistribution of expenses between the SCO Secretariat and the SCO Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure in 2010
- Staff regulations for SCO permanent bodies.
2. Joint communiqué following the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.