On 15 September 2017, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation headquarters in Beijing held a meeting for ambassadors of the European Union member states to the People's Republic of China with SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov.
During the meeting, the Secretary-General presented the main results of the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting which was held in Astana, spoke about the main areas of cooperation within the Organisation, joint work on ensuring regional security and stability, cooperation in trade and economy, cultural and humanitarian matters, and answered questions from the diplomatic representatives.
In his remarks, Mr Alimov noted that "since the first days, the SCO has adhered to the policy of excluding bloc, ideology-driven and confrontational approaches to handling international and regional issues. The Organisation strictly follows the principles enshrined in the SCO Charter, including the principle of the SCO being not directed against other states and international associations. Intense development of contacts and cooperation with international and regional organisations — primarily, the UN and its specialised agencies — is one of the SCO's priorities," the Secretary-General stressed.
The guests watched short video clips demonstrating the principles of the "Shanghai spirit" as well as the SCO's action to combat drug trafficking.
Noting the high level of hospitality, the EU Ambassador to China Hans Dietmar Schweisgut said: "The exchange of opinions with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is very important and useful for us all. I would like to express my gratitude to the SCO Secretary-General for this opportunity to meet and discuss relevant topics."
The SCO-EU meeting was initiated by the European Union and was part of the SCO Open Doors Day programme arranged by the SCO headquarters. The meeting involved heads and plenipotentiary representatives of diplomatic missions from 24 EU countries.
During the coffee break, 11-year-old piano prodigy Sun Dinghao played Bach and Chopin for those present.