SCO to focus on regional stability, economic recovery at FMs meeting

▶ Shanghai Spirit’s attraction, growing cohesion highlighted

The Russia- Ukraine conflict and the US’ attempt to split the world and demolish the world order through promoting bloc confrontation highlights the growing importance and attraction of Shanghai Spirit, the core value of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ( SCO) that champions mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development, analysts said as foreign ministers of SCO members gathered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to discuss international and regional issues and SCO cooperation, including projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is attending the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO in Tashkent from Thursday to Friday and will also be visiting Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. During a meeting with Acting Foreign Minister Norov Vladimir Imamovich of Uzbekistan on Thursday, Wang Yi said China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and social stability, and continuing to follow the path of development and revitalization suited to its conditions, and opposes any interference in Uzbekistan’s internal affairs.

The two countries vow to speed up the feasibility study for the China- Kyrgyzstan- Uzbekistan Railway, improve the capacity of the ChinaKazakhstan- Uzbekistan Railway and the China- Kyrgyzstan- Uzbekistan expressway and jointly safeguard the safe and stable operation of the China- Central Asia natural gas pipeline.

The foreign ministers will also discuss implementation of more BRI projects in the SCO members, said Zhang Hong, an Eastern European studies expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Against the backdrop of challenges to the world order, it is obvious to observers that the rapid development of the SCO’s capability in safeguarding regional security and stability, and its attraction to many neighboring countries is becoming more prominent, Zhang said.

It is likely that further discussions on the inclusion of new member states will be discussed at the foreign ministers’ meeting so as to further promote the expansion and maturity of the SCO internal cooperation mechanism, Zhang said.

In reporting the expansion of the SCO, some Western media claimed it is because of NATO’s expansion, but observers stressed that the essence of the SCO is not confrontation but regional cooperation, and when some SCO members maintain good cooperation with the West, it is malicious for some countries in the West to smear the SCO as a geopolitical tool.

When some SCO members maintain good cooperation with the West, it is malicious for some countries in the West to smear the SCO as a geopolitical tool.