The 15-year-old Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become a model for regional and international cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui has said.[Special coverage]
"The SCO has been able to find a successful organizational model for new-type regional cooperation, in which the desire for security is implemented through mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation," Li said in a joint interview with Russian and Chinese media on Monday.
The Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed by the SCO member states implemented in legal form the concept of friendly ties, one that can pass from generation to generation, the diplomat said.
Li said that the trust of the SCO members in each other's policies and interaction on the international stage has already reached a high level. The SCO has established in the last 15 years an operation model based on security and economic cooperation, Li said.
The regional alliance has responded effectively to the challenges of security, peace and stability in the region, and actively promotes cooperation between member states in trade, transport and communications, agriculture and finance, thus allowing for broader prospects of development, he said.
The SCO "circle of friends" is constantly expanding, and the SCO family now includes six member countries, six observer countries and six dialogue partners, Li said.
The SCO also supports cooperation with the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as other international or regional organizations.
Li noted that the SCO acts as a positive force to ensure security, stability and sustainable development worldwide.
China and Russia, both as important member states of the organization, continuously strengthen good neighborly ties and political trust with the other participants.
Beijing and Moscow play a constructive role in the development of the SCO to enhance its international position and influence, Li said.
Currently, the group's primary task is the pairing of China's Belt and Road initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.
Li says the idea has been agreed upon by Chinese and Russian leaders in order to promote the economic development of the SCO states and guarantee the future prosperity of their peoples.
