China to host 14th SCO prime ministers' meeting

China will host the 14th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prime ministers' meeting in Zhengzhou, capital of the central Henan Province next Monday and Tuesday.

The meeting will focus on cooperation in economy and trade, transport and people-to-people exchanges, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday in Beijing.

China hopes to identify with all SCO members the most pressing tasks of regional cooperation, Hua said.

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, government leaders from the six member states of the SCO, including Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariyev, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, and First Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Azimov will attend the meeting.

Aside from the six member states, government leaders from Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan will take part in the meeting as observers.

Attendees also include representatives from international organizations, including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet government leaders of SCO member states on the sidelines of the meeting.

Premier Li Keqiang will meet his Russian counterpart Medvedev for the 20th China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting.

Masimov, Medvedev and the recently appointed Sariyev will pay official visits to China on the sidelines of the meeting. Endi