Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit was held in Dushanbe on September 11-12, 2014

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on September 11-12, 2014. First, the SCO leaders met in a narrow format to discuss current international agenda, including the situation in Ukraine. According to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, “[the SCO leaders] share identical or similar views on the main areas of cooperation. This consensus of views is reflected in the Dushanbe Declaration that we are adopting”. Second, the SCO Council of Heads of State met in expanded format with the representatives of the SCO observer states (India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan and Afghanistan).

In his speech Vladimir Putin announced the Russian SCO presidency’s priorities in 2015: strengthening the organisation’s role as an effective mechanism for regional security, launching big multilateral economic projects, deepening cultural and humanitarian ties, and developing new approaches to current regional and global problems. He stressed the importance of developing ties between the SCO and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and expanding cooperation with other international organisations. Vladimir Putin pointed out that around 100 events at various levels will be held within the Russian SCO presidency. The key event will be the SCO Summit to be held in Ufa on July 9-10, 2015.

In addition to the Dushanbe Declaration, the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China signed a package of agreements, including the decision of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on a standard memorandum on the obligations of countries applying to join the SCO, the decision of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on approving procedures for accession to the SCO, the decision of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on the draft SCO Development Strategy through to 2025, the decision of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on celebrating the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II, and the decision of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States approving provisions on the SCO’s symbols and emblems.

They also witnessed the signing of an agreement between the SCO member states’ governments on establishing favourable conditions for international road transport.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit Russian President Vladimir Putin had a number of bilateral meetings. In particular he met with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani.

Following the summit Vladimir Putin`s news conference took place.