Source:

06-09-2006 10:24

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has traversed a course of five years since its formal establishment in 2001. This organization has increasingly attracted special attention on the world political stage, this is mainly because it has created a kind of inter-state brand-new cooperative model -- breaking through differences in state institution, ideology and cultural tradition, it has established commonly needed room for sound development, thus setting up a platform for heads of state of relevant countries to settle major regional problems they are commonly faced with through positive dialogs and consultations on an equal footing.

Along with the acceleration of the process of globalization and the development of the regional situation, the SCO had, in the late 20th century, turned their regional cooperation attention to the non-traditional security field that constituted serious threats to social stability. In 2001 when the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was formally founded, this organization first signed the "Shanghai Convention" on fighting against terrorism, separatism and extremism, thus making SCO the earliest international organization in the international community that regards attack on terrorism as its main task. At present, maintaining regional security remains SCO's main task. In June this year, SCO member countries further discussed concrete measures for strengthening security cooperation, which will be adopted by the summit meeting in Astana.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is now, through mutually beneficial cooperation, creating a favorable environment facilitating economic development for various member countries, so as to constantly expand the cohesion and appeal of this organization. On the principles of equality, mutual benefit, market economy, mutual opening, combination of multilateral and bilateral efforts, full play is given to the member countries' advantages of strong economic complementarity and abundant resources to promote the development of various forms of cooperation and expedite the common development of the economies of member countries.

Now SCO has set up a number of working groups to solve problems related to customs cooperation and transnational transportation, and formulated more than 120 specific projects. Another important mission for the Fifth Summit of the SCO held this time is, through governments of various countries, to further carry out the many specific projects related to regional economic cooperation, thereby creating necessary environments and conditions for advancing economic development.

The recent SCO Summit was held against the background featuring major changes taken place in the regional political situation. After the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other direct military actions, the United States and other Western powers have basically completed integration of the world security pattern, launched offensives of "democratic reform" and "elimination of tyrannical outposts" in former Soviet states and the Greater Middle East region and started "color revolutions" one after another.

This has affected Central Asian member countries of the SCO: Kirghizstan has experienced the change of political power under the impact of "tidal wave of revolution"; the opposition faction of Kazakhstan, affected by the incident of its neighboring country, also stepped up the transplantation of "color revolution"; the extremist forces of Uzbekistan provoked the Angren incident, all these have posed great challenge to the sound development of the SCO. Having steadily tided over the first power handover after independence, various Central Asian countries need a steady and harmonious regional environment. On the basis of spurring the establishment of a new regional political and economic order, it will be another important topic for discussion at the SCO Summit to help the regional political situation to smoothly go through this sensitive period.

(Source：People's Daily Online)

 

Editor:Chen Minji