On 29 March 2019, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met at the SCO Secretariat with ambassadors and diplomats from the ASEAN and SCO member countries to China.
The Secretary-General informed the meeting participants about the results of his meetings with the ASEAN Secretary-General, the Committee of Permanent Representatives, and the ambassadors and diplomats of the "SCO family" countries to Indonesia held on 18-19 February 2019 in Jakarta.
"The SCO and ASEAN play a key role in forming the architecture of security and cooperation and are dedicated to the achievement of results in trade and economic ties. We have a unique opportunity to expand mutually beneficial cooperation to move forward and achieve sustainable development in the two organisation member states," Mr Norov noted.
The Secretary-General noted that his visit to Jakarta was successful and result oriented. He informed the meeting participants that the secretaries general highly praised the two secretariats' current potential to further expand cooperation and agreed on the List of Possible Events between the Two Secretariats in 2019-2020 based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2005.
A presentation on SCO activities was shown at the meeting; it included the SCO's goals and tasks and the event schedule for the near future, including events with international and regional partners. The participants also discussed the prospects for the further development of practical cooperation between the SCO and ASEAN in such areas as security, fighting terrorism, separatism, illegal drug trafficking and cybercrime, as well as investment, banking and financial cooperation, and trade, tourism and education.
As ASEAN Chair, Thailand's Ambassador to China Piriya Khempon thanked Vladimir Norov for initiating the meeting and the information provided. He praised the work carried out by the SCO to fight terrorism and drugs. He briefly informed the meeting participants of ASEAN's events in 2019 and added that there were opportunities for cooperation in the economy, trade and information technology. He also noted that it was necessary to establish ties between the business communities of the two organisations' member states.
The meeting was attended from ASEAN by Ambassador of Thailand Piriya Khempon, Ambassador of Myanmar Tit Linn O, Ambassador of the Philippines Jose S.L.Sta. Romana, Charges d'Affairs Lee Kok Ting from Brunei, Nuryante Mohd Yazid from Malaysia and senior diplomats from the embassies of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam.
From the SCO by Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan Kanaiym Baktygulova, Ambassador of Pakistan Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Tajikistan Parviz Davlatzoda, India's Deputy Chief of Mission Acquino Vimal and senior diplomats from the embassies of Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The meeting was also attended by Director of General Affairs and Coordination Division of the ASEAN-China Centre Wang Hongliu.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO and ASEAN secretariats was signed in 2005 in Jakarta. It envisages cooperation between the two organisations in fighting terrorism, illegal drug and weapons trafficking and money laundering, as well as cooperation in the economy, tourism, environmental protection and social development.