SCO to discuss measures to deal with int'l financial crisis -- china.org.cn

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui said in Beijing on Tuesday that members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would discuss measures to deal with the current international financial crisis.

Li told a press conference that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the seventh Meeting of Prime Ministers of the SCO Member States in Kazakhstan's capital Astana at the end of this month to discuss measures to deal with the international financial crisis by strengthening cooperation among the SCO member states.

All the measures will be helpful to maintaining the financial stability in the SCO member states as well as help the international community to survive the ongoing financial crisis.

At the meeting, according to Li, prime ministers of the six SCO member states will review their cooperation since last PM's meeting on November 2, 2007 and exchange their views and present their proposals concerning the next phase of cooperation.

"They (the prime ministers) will also issue a joint statement and approve a new budget for the SCO cooperation in 2009 and an amended guideline concerning the implementation of the multilateral economic and trade cooperation within SCO member states," Li added.

"The theme and task for the meeting are to comprehensively carry out organization's treaty on long-term good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation and important consensus reached by the leaders of SCO member states in Dushanbe in August," the vice foreign minister noted.

He also highlighted the achievement made by the regional organization since its establishment seven years ago, noting the solidarity among the SCO member states has been growing stronger while its influence over regional and international issues further enhanced, which is of vital significance to promote the regional peace and common prosperity.

The SCO, established in Shanghai seven years ago, consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Pakistan, India, Iran, Mongolia as observers.

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2008)