Rashid Alimov: The “SCO locomotive” is confidently moving ahead on the road of development

Dushanbe hosted a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In an interview with TASS, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov summed up the results of this event and mapped out further plans for SCO cooperation.

Question: The SCO had a busy schedule in 2018. You held a summit in Qingdao in June, and a no less important event, the meeting of the Heads of Government, ended in Dushanbe on October 12. Could we say that economic cooperation has been given new impetus?

Rashid Alimov: Absolutely. Let me recall that in Qingdao the leaders of the SCO member states not only identified the main areas for cooperation in the economy and cultural and humanitarian ties but also adopted many important documents in this sphere, which expand cooperation. This is primarily the Qingdao Declaration of the Council of Heads of State (CHS). Then there is the CHS's decision to approve the 2018-2022 Action Plan on implementing the provisions of the Treaty on Long-term Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the SCO member countries. This is a comprehensive document that provides for a package of practical steps on further enhancing mutual understanding and trust in the SCO region and for ensuring mutually beneficial and consistent progress.

The CHS's decision on developing a programme of cooperation for the SCO member states on food security launched practical work within the SCO in this area. New plans for pooling efforts on environmental protection are part of the concept on SCO cooperation on environmental protection that was endorsed by the Qingdao summit. The statement of the Heads of State of the SCO member countries on countering health epidemics in the SCO area mapped out new opportunities for pooling sanitary and disease control efforts.

In addition, a joint statement by the SCO Heads of State on easing trade procedures also became an important document.

A joint address by the SCO Heads of State to the Younger Generation and the endorsement of a programme of action on implementing it was instrumental in further promoting humanitarian ties.

Question: What SCO documents are designed to encourage economic and humanitarian cooperation in your opinion?

Rashid Alimov: We can say that every other document adopted at the Qingdao summit was aimed at stepping up economic and humanitarian cooperation. Probably one of the most important documents was the memorandum on mutual understanding on encouraging cooperation between the SCO member states' ministries responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade activities in micro, small and medium-sized business. This document is aimed at supporting the backbone of the modern economy — private enterprise.

The memorandum of the customs services of the SCO member states on the exchange of information on cross-border movement of ozone-destroying substances was another SCO contribution to promoting environmental security. The same applies to the regulations on information cooperation with around-the-clock contact points through the channels of the CENcomm RILO-MOSKVA platform.

The signing of the plan for cooperation on the SCO programme on tourism in 2019-2020 will allow us to develop tourism within the SCO next year. In this context I consider it important to mention the work on drafting a memorandum of cooperation between the SCO and World Tourism Organisation.

In addition, new prospects have opened up for developing cultural cooperation. The SCO Secretariat and UNESCO signed a memorandum on mutual understanding for cooperation in 2018-2022.

So, the package of documents on economic and humanitarian cooperation issues adopted and signed at the Qingdao summit determined the direction for further work and practical tasks for future cooperation. The preparations for the meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government on October 11-12, 2018 were based on the decisions and instructions of the leaders of the SCO member states. It is possible to say that the documents adopted by the heads of government in Dushanbe will result in the practical implementation of the CHS decisions.

In all, 10 decisions were endorsed on October 12 and two documents were signed during the meeting. These are the practical results of our working together.

Question: Which of the decisions approved and signed in Dushanbe are of special importance?

Rashid Alimov: The most important is probably the decision of the SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) to prepare a new version of the Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation for the SCO Member States. This programme is a comprehensive document that was initially drafted in 2003 for a 15-year term. Starting from 2004, the SCO Secretariat submitted annual reports to the HGC on the programme's implementation envisaged until 2020.

The Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States was approved by the HGC in September 2003 and became a springboard for creating a new mutually profitable platform combining the economic potential of the member states. The key goals were to step up efforts to create a favourable environment for trade and investment, work out stable, predictable and transparent rules and procedures within the SCO framework in order to improve conditions in trade and investment, create a system of support for priority areas to promote regional economic cooperation.

Over the past 15 years, the above document has served as the basis for a significant number of legal instruments that help us closely interact in various fields of cooperation.

However, the development dynamic of each of the member states, new progressive methods and forms of cooperation (electronic trade, the paperless customs handling of goods and products, etc.), the integration of the huge and unique economic potential of the newly-admitted SCO member states — India and Pakistan — in the SCO programmes and plans in this area have called for a new programme platform for economic cooperation. The new version of the programme is supposed to pave the way towards mutual economic cooperation of the SCO member states, give new impetus to economic development and make a significant positive contribution to the socio-economic policies in the SCO.

Question: What will the priority be during work on the programme?

Rashid Alimov: As before, priority will be given to creating favourable conditions for broader trade, economic and investment activities, the development of high-tech economic fields, industrial modernisation, infrastructure projects in transport and logistics, energy, agriculture, information and communication and other areas,

improving the economic competitiveness of the member states, narrowing the technological gap between them, and improving the living standards and the quality of life of the people in the member states.

A set of priorities is outlined in the joint communiqué that was signed at the 17th session of the HGC and published on the SCO Secretariat's official website.

Rashid Alimov: The member states intend to continue coopering in transport, including new plans and modernising existing international plans for highway and railway transport and multi-modal hubs, and implementing other common infrastructural projects to provide efficient transport among the member states.

These goals can be achieved by developing an efficient transport system with electronic documentation, guarantee-based mechanisms and the possibility to monitor cargo transfers.

Further implementation of the agreement between the SCO member-states on creating favourable conditions for international road transport (adopted in Dushanbe on 12 September 2014), as well as the continuation of projects in the programme to expand motorways in the SCO member states are of crucial significance.

I would like to particularly note the decision of the Republic of Belarus, supported by the participants, to join the above agreement, which opens new and unique opportunities for the whole region, to create an open transport-transit system from the Pacific coast to the European Union.

Question: Apparently, unique conditions are taking shape that imply increases in regional growth rates. What additional mechanisms does the SCO intend to use in this respect?

Rashid Alimov: In focusing on developing direct contact between the border regions in adjacent SCO member states and strengthening economic ties, the presidents of the SCO member states have set a challenge to expand the opportunities for dialogue between the heads of administrative and territorial units.

The agreement to prepare a programme to develop interregional cooperation between the SCO member states, adopted by the heads of government of the SCO member states, opens a new stage in the development of this trend. In particular, the programme will include specific steps to consolidate neighbourly relations of friendship and cooperation by way of developing and further implementing a set of practical measures to support and encourage mutually advantageous economic

ties and achieving progress in industrial and investment cooperation in the leading sectors of the national economies with the aim of raising people's living standards.

In the long run, the member states intend to establish a forum of regional leaders, in accordance with the Astana Declaration.

In this connection, it appears useful to develop direct ties and cooperation between the member states' regions, which would include trade, the economy, investment, industrial and agricultural development, transport infrastructure, information communications as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation and tourism. Developing the programme involves broad participation of the relevant ministries and agencies with the participation of the SCO Secretariat, the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium.

Question: I cannot help noticing that the SCO is paying more attention to the development of cooperation in science and joint research. Is it obvious that the council's decision on the practical measures plan (the road map) on cooperation between the SCO member states' scientific and research organisations for 2019-2020 will promote these goals?

Rashid Alimov: You have correctly noted a trend in our developing cooperation. We laid the foundation when we signed the Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the SCO member countries in 2013 and adopted the event plan to implement it. The basis for cooperation was determined by the SCO Scientific and Technical Partnership Concept. The protocol solution of the fourth meeting of the SCO Member States' Science and Technology Ministers was the next step: in accordance with this, the heads of the delegations instructed the working group to develop and submit the plan of practical measures for cooperation between the SCO member states' scientific and research organisations for the approval of the Heads of the State Council.

The document includes issues related to the implementation of joint scientific and research projects, an exchange of scientists and experts, organisational events and participation in joint scientific meetings and conferences, an exchange of scientific and technical research results and other joint activities. The plan is designed to expand the mutually beneficial practical, scientific and technical cooperation in the SCO space and to exchange innovation advances and the results of scientific research. It will allow us to carry out large scientific and research programmes, including those involving the scientific potential and the material and technical base of the SCO member states' research centres. It is also important that the plan emphasises the promotion of partnerships between scientific organisations, scientists and experts from the SCO member states as well as joint work on the practical implementation of ideas, projects and innovation, and participation in international meetings, conferences, seminars and other events dedicated to science and technology.

 

Rahsid Alimov: Yes, this issue was also discussed at the SCO Heads of State Council meeting. This resulted in adopting the resolution to implement the cooperation concept for the environmental protection of the SCO member states. As I noted, the adoption of this concept at the Qingdao Summit opened up new horizons for the development of cooperation in environmental protection. In addition, the Qingdao Declaration stresses the importance of preserving an environmental balance in the SCO space, of restoring biodiversity for the generations to come and creating favourable conditions for the people and for sustainable development.

At the current stage of the human development, the implementation of multilateral projects is closely connected with environmental protection problems. There are resources that require multilateral efforts to maintain the environmental balance.

Environmental protection and the solution to complex tasks and problems related to maintaining the environmental balance and restoring biodiversity for the generations to come as well as creating favourable conditions for people and sustainable development in the SCO space is an important area of our activities.

The concept envisages scientific and technological cooperation in environmental protection as well as the improvement of environmental education and campaigns and the progressive promotion of green development within the SCO. In this context, the approval of the resolution to implement the cooperation concept in environmental protection in the SCO member states that also envisages the issue of the establishment of the SCO member states’ Ministerial Meeting is logical, timely and topical.

Question: Traditionally, security issues are discussed in the SCO within various formats. The SCO Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) meeting was no exception, right?

Rashid Alimov: No, it wasn’t. As you know, security is a comprehensive notion and is approached at different levels. Ensuring food security has become increasingly important in the past few years. This is one of urgent problems of the modern world, and the aggravation of food problems can trigger socio-political upheaval.

According to the UN, the world’s population is rapidly growing and will reach 9.8 billion people by 2050. That said, about 800 million people are below the poverty line and are facing food crises for different reasons: natural disasters, conflicts, climate change and food prices. By expert estimate, the world’s food production will have to be increased 70 percent by 2030.

In this context the Qingdao Declaration expresses the willingness of the SCO member states to step up exchanges and cooperation in taking preventive measures and countering cross-border epizooties, providing access to quality agricultural products and imposing sanitation quarantines to ensure food security. The declaration emphasised the need to take specific measures in this context, including the development of a cooperation programme.

With this aim in mind, the CHS adopted a decision to draft a cooperation programme on food safety at the Qingdao summit. On September 18, the ministers of agriculture of the SCO member countries in Bishkek emphasised the importance of adopting a programme for SCO cooperation on food security.

The SCO programme in this vital area is aimed at improving cooperation and ensuring the food security of the member states by revealing and preventing threats to food security, and minimising any negative influence by monitoring and exchanging information on the condition of food security. One of the programme’s goals is to cooperate with international organisations, which opens up additional prospects for expanding SCO cooperation with the UN, in part with the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Question: You mentioned that the statement adopted by the Heads of States on countering the threat of epidemics in the SCO area maps out new outlines for

pooling sanitary and disease control efforts. Was this subject developed further in the context of the recent decisions by the SCO’s CHG?

Rashid Alimov: Absolutely. While following the instructions of the heads of state at the CHG meeting in Dushanbe, the participants signed a memorandum between the authorised bodies of the SCO member countries on technical cooperation on preventive measures and control of trans-border epizooties.

The document facilitates the further consolidation of the SCO’s potential in responding to the challenges and threats linked with the spread of dangerous infectious diseases. The memorandum will promote cooperation within the SCO in monitoring, preventing and countering trans-border epizooties and the creation of joint preventive forces for combatting threats of epizootic diseases, and will also help ensure the safety of peoples’ health, food products and animal and animal product trade.

Question: Obviously, youth cooperation has been making steady progress in the SCO. What are the plans for this?

Rashid Alimov: Indeed, the SCO is paying special attention to youth related programmes. The main areas of the SCO’s youth policy were determined in the joint address of the Heads of State to young people, and the programme for implementation envisages specific steps aimed at supporting youth, enhancing mutual understanding and tolerance and achieving mutual cultural enrichment.

In this context much is being done to unite the youth in the SCO by stepping up the activities of the SCO Youth Council and conducting events with the participation of young people, such as Open Door Days for school students, and the intellectual contests, “The SCO Model” and “The Leader of the 21 Century.”

This effort will be continued with the assembly of young representatives of the SCO member countries under the title, “SCO Youth against Terrorism and Extremism” in Dongfang, China on November 8-12, 2018.

In a word, the SCO is actively working with youth.

Question: What is the result of the Dushanbe meeting in brief?

Rashid Alimov: In general, I would say that in the brief period between the meetings of the Heads of Government of the SCO member states in Sochi and Dushanbe, the SCO carried out a large cooperative agenda aimed at developing and consolidating multilateral trust-based dialogue, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the trade, economic, scientific, technical and humanitarian areas, and coordinating efforts for resolving major regional and global financial and economic challenges. Figuratively speaking, having received additional energy, the SCO “locomotive” is confidently moving down the tracks as determined by the SCO’s strategy.