Experts spoke highly of the results achieved at the just-concluded prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and China's proposal on practical cooperation.

Heads of government of the six SCO member states -- China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan -- reached extensive consensus on boosting cooperation among their countries in various fields, at the meeting held on Friday in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made a six-point proposal on deepening practical cooperation among the SCO countries.

Stanislav Pritchin, an expert with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said China's role in Central Asia has been comprehensively enhanced.

The expert referred to China as a major investor and trade partner for Central Asian countries. China, with its foreign exchange reserves, has helped Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and other countries in the region to tide over financial crises, he said. By doing so, China acquired opportunities to conduct energy cooperation with these countries, he added.

Andrey Kazantsev, director of the Analytical Center of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, noted that security was an important issue on the meeting agenda. Situation in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the NATO-led forces has been a focus of world attention.

He noted SCO countries have strengthened cooperation in security to prevent terrorism from spreading into SCO countries from Afghanistan.

According to Dmitry Ontoev of Russia's Public Political Studies Center, the SCO leaders signed at this meeting many agreements on economic cooperation. The next summit is expected to make breakthrough in banking and financial cooperation.

China's economy has weathered the 2008 international financial crisis, said the expert, adding that as a major contributor to the SCO, China will continue to be a leading member of the regional bloc.

Elnara Baynazarova, an international relations expert from Kazakhstan, said Li's proposal at the meeting to strengthen economic and trade cooperation among SCO member states, especially in transportation, will bring abundant benefits to Kazakhstan.

Building a transport corridor along the ancient Silk Road will promote regional economic development and infrastructure construction, and bring new investment and jobs to the country, said Baynazarova.

In addition, the transport corridor could bring new government revenue, including transit duties levied on commodities passing through the country, she said. Endi

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