The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has neither the authority nor the instrument to settle bilateral disputes between its members, but it will create the political atmosphere to help resolve such issues, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov said here Tuesday.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Xinhua while answering questions collected from netizens, Alimov said disputes such as those between Indian and Pakistan should be "discussed and resolved through a bilateral format and in a friendly and constructive manner."

The SCO member states are willing to discuss issues of common interests based on equality of all members, as underlined by the Shanghai Spirit.

Alimov said the SCO will create the positive political atmosphere that is helpful for comprehensively consolidating and developing trust, respect and friendship.

"This is the key attitude of the eight-member SCO towards new members such as India and Pakistan," he added.

India and Pakistan, which have fought four wars in the past 70 years, became full members of the SCO earlier this year. The other members of the bloc are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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