On 18 April 2018, Moscow (Russian Federation) hosted the Fourth Conference of the Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Member States. Pariticipating in various formats were spokesman of the Embassy of the Republic of India to Russia, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic,
the Federal Minister for Science and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Minister of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the SCO Deputy Secretary-General.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Grigory Trubnikov chaired the conference.
The heads of the delegations welcomed the first ever delegations to the conference from the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as SCO member states. The conference participants expressed confidence in the dynamic development of the SCO's scientific and technological cooperation with its new members and noted the participation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the SCO as a dialogue partner.
During the conference the delegation heads shared information on the SCO member states' science and technology policies and noted with satisfaction common priorities and formats for promoting science and technology. The conference participants agreed to use these important framerwork conditions in order to further expand and deepen the SCO partnership in science and technology.
The delegation heads discussed progress on the Action Plan for Implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology for 2016-2020, and also the execution of the Cooperation in Science and New Techgnology clause of the List of Measures to Promote Project Activities within the SCO in 2017-2021. The conference participants noted with satisfaction the successful implementation of decisions adopted at the previous conference and discussed the above agenda items.

The heads of the delegations were provided with the latest information about the Practical Action Plan (roadmap) project on cooperation between science and technology agencies of SCO member states for 2018-2019 and instructed the Working Group to finalise it and submit it in due order for the confirmation of the SCO Heads of Government Council, scheduled to be held in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2018.
In the framework of the conference, the heads of the delegations discussed developing mechanisms to support and coordinate multilateral science and technology cooperation between SCO member states. Herewith, the conference participants focused on SCO member states' science and technology cooperation in priority fields: environmentally friendly technologies, energy efficiency, innovative technologies in agriculture including the food sector and food security, biotechnology and bioengineering, innovative technologies such as nanotechnologies and information technologies.
In addition, the delegation heads noted the importance of exchanges of experts and scientists in the framework of science and technology cooperation. The conference participants reached a consensus on the need for further steps to facilitate the access of experts and scientific groups to scientific infrastructure, including mega-science installations, on the territory of SCO member states, in accordance with local laws.
The delegation heads supported holding the SCO Youth Innovation Forum in Shenyang in May 2018 with the aim of further developing cooperation in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship within the SCO.
The delegation heads agreed to hold the Fifth Conference of the Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of SCO Member States in 2020.
The conference participants expressed profound gratitude to the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for the warm reception and the excellent management of the Fourth Conference of the Heads of Ministries and
Agencies of the SCO Member States.
The participants signed minutes summarizing the results of the conference.