Li Hui, assistant foreign minister, representing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said Tuesday that the SCO will further strengthen cooperation with the UN as well as regional organizations.

Li made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the two-day sixth high-level meeting of heads of regional and inter-governmental organizations.

The representatives from the UN and 23 regional organizations discussed issues ranging from fighting against terrorism to ways for improving cooperation between the UN and regional organizations.

Li also set forth positions of the SCO on a variety of international issues, including fighting against global threats.

A joint declaration, adopted at the end of the meeting, called for closer cooperation between the UN and regional organizations in promoting dialogue between different civilizations, boosting the UN's capability in peace keeping, protecting civilians in conflicts, and preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

It has been also decided that the high-level meeting, which was first held in 1994, will be held annually instead of every two years so far.

The SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)