SCO leaders pledge to safeguard comprehensive security: communique

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Friday agreed to jointly address common challenges and safeguard comprehensive security.

They stressed that joint efforts must be made to respond to conventional and non-conventional challenges and threats in security areas, according to a press communique released after the 15th SCO summit held in the southwestern Russian city of Ufa.

In the communique, the leaders pledged to intensify fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, narcotics trade and transnational organized crimes, and adopted a statement on coping with drugs issue.

It is very important to enhance the role of the SCO in building a fair, open and equal international order to ensure the security and sustainable development of all countries in the world, read the communique.

To serve this goal, the leaders of member states adopted the SCO Development Strategy until 2025, a comprehensive blueprint that set direction for cooperation in politics, security, economy and people-to-people exchanges.

Heads of state exchanged views on the situation within the bloc and some hotspot issues concerning Afghanistan, West Asia, North Africa and the Ukraine crisis.

They agreed to beef up multilateral cooperation in a bid to safeguard regional and international security and stability.

Leaders of member states endorsed a statement to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war and WWII.

They confirmed their attendance to the commemorative activities marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in September in Beijing.

The leaders also ratified a resolution on starting the procedures of granting India and Pakistan full membership of the organization, according to the communique.

Meanwhile, the SCO also elevated Belarus to the status of observer from dialogue partner, and took in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal as new dialogue partners.

They stressed that the SCO will continue to enhance cooperation with its observers and dialogue partners in jointly addressing new threats and challenges, as well as in developing economic and trade relations and people-to-people exchanges.

The leaders also shared views over the Iran nuclear issue, nuclear non-proliferation in central Asia, cooperation with other international and regional organizations, and information security issues.

They urged the competent departments of all member states to strengthen information sharing and law-enforcement cooperation, and reach an agreement on border defense cooperation and an outline for combating terrorism, separatism and extremism in 2016-2018.

The leaders agreed to continue to work for the launch of the SCO development bank and development fund in a bid to facilitate trade and investment in this region. They also voiced their support for the construction of China-initiated Silk Road Economic Belt.

The heads of state called for boosting intra-SCO cooperation in every field.

Rashid Alimov from Tajikistan was appointed new secretary-general of the SCO, and Evgeniy Sysoev from Russia was appointed new director of the Executive Committee of SCO's Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure. Their tenure lasts from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2018.

Uzbekistan will hold the next rotating chair of the SCO and it will host the 16th summit in its capital Tashkent in 2016. Endi