On June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established in Shanghai by the heads of state of the six countries of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzatan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan on the basis of the original “Shanghai Five,” signifying the birth of a new regional cooperation organization aiming to seek security through mutual trust and to seek cooperation through mutual benefit. The purpose of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is to strengthen the mutual trust and good neighborly friendship between the member countries; encourage their effective cooperation in political, economic, trade, sci-tech, cultural, educational, energy, communications, environmental protection and other fields; devote jointly to maintaining and safeguarding regional peace, security and stability; and establish a democratic, fair and rational international political and economic new order. The heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries will meet formally once a year and their heads of government will also meet regularly, in the member countries by turns.
