Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should enhance cooperation to jointly deal with the financial crisis.

"SCO member states sustain impact at various levels in the global financial crisis," he told a press conference following the end of the annual session of the National People's Congress.

"We are neighbors, and every member state has its own advantages. So we can tide over the financial crisis through cooperation."

The Premier said China had already signed a set of agreements on a package cooperation program for energy resources with Russia.

Last month, China and Russia signed seven cooperation agreements in the financial and oil fields, which included a pipeline construction project, a long-term crude oil trading deal and a financing scheme between the China Development Bank and the Russia Oil Pipeline Transport Company.

Wen also said China and Kazakhstan had signed a letter of intent to cooperate in the financial and oil fields, and China hoped the two countries could sign the agreement before the end of this year.

Wen added SCO member states could also enhance cooperation in sectors such as transportation, agriculture and high-tech.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2009)