The inauguration of the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ushered into a new era of the multi-lateral organization, said a press communique in Beijing Thursday.  

Six SCO foreign ministers issued the communique after their meeting earlier today.

The ministers attended the inauguration ceremony of the SCO secretariat, which was located in a new diplomatic base in northeast Beijing.

The ministers expressed their support for the inauguration of the SCO anti-terrorism center in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on the SCO summit due to be held in June, the communique said.

All ministers said the prime ministers' meeting last September approved a guideline to the multilateral economic and trade cooperation, said the communique.

The communique said it is a pressing task to take concrete measures for promoting and developing economic cooperation within SCO.

The communique said the draft of an agreement on banning illegal trafficking of narcotic medicines was complete.

The communique said the prime mission of the organization was to push forward concrete cooperation of all member states in all areas in line with the SCO Charter.

The communique reiterated that the SCO would make efforts to undertake exchanges, dialogue and cooperation with other international organizations and countries.

The SCO was planning to promulgate legal paper to admit new members and grant observer and partner status, the communique said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2004)