A meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM) took place in Moscow yesterday.

The meeting participants discussed state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation within the framework of the Organization under the condition of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The exchanged views on a number of international and regional issues as well as modern security challenges to security in the SCO area  responsibility, according to the Tajik MFA information department.   

Media reports say that during their addresses, foreign ministers of SCO members fully recognized the positive role of the organization in maintaining regional security, bolstering development, and fighting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

They reportedly voiced readiness to strengthen cooperation on combating the epidemic, including vaccine and drug research and development.

The participants supported closer policy coordination to push forward post-pandemic economic recoveries and sustainable development.

As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, the SCO members underlined the need to preserve the norms of international relations with the UN Charter at its basis, defend the core position of the UN, firmly uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateralism, and resist interference by external forces in the internal affairs of countries in the region.

The SCO members said they are committed to countering all forms of terrorism and promoting political settlements of regional hotspot issues through dialogue.

They agreed to intensify people-to-people and cultural exchanges among the member states, deepen interactions between the SCO and other international organizations, and promote the SCO to play a bigger role in international affairs.

The meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers reportedly made full preparations for the summit of the SCO in November.

The SCO-CFM is the highest forum of SCO after the Council of Heads of State (CHS) and the Council of Heads of Government (CHG).  It deliberates on important regional and international issues and considers documents for approval and adoption by the Council of Heads of State.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently has eight full members -- China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia are four observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.  ACEAN, CIS, Turkmenistan and the United Nations are guest attendances.

The SCO now represents around 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area and around 20% of GDP.