Dear Mr Bilahari Kausikan,
Dear colleagues,
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome the participants in the conference "SCO: Shaping Eurasia".
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the National University of Singapore and personally to Mr Kausikan for organising today's event.
Our meeting is dedicated to the place and role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in shaping the modern architecture of security and sustainable development in Eurasia. And this topic has been chosen for discussion as an appropriate one.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly revealed the interconnectivity and interdependence of the modern world, and put the issue of improving the mechanisms of multilateral cooperation at the global and regional levels on the international agenda.
At the same time, this is not only a matter of traditional interstate cooperation, but also of strengthening coordination between leading regional associations, which undoubtedly include the SCO and ASEAN.
In order to present a more comprehensive image of our Organisation and its contribution to the modern world order to our esteemed audience, I would like to take a brief historical excursion into the recent past.
The creation of the SCO was, above all, a result of profound changes in the international political landscape due to the collapse of the bipolar system as well as the emergence of the newly independent states in the centre of Eurasia.
Accordingly, there was a need to build a qualitatively new system of interstate communication based not on ideological confrontation, but on the principles of equality of states, mutual and respect for trust between them.
The establishment of the SCO was preceded by the formalisation of the Shanghai Five in April 1996 with the participation of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, which had concluded agreements on confidence building in the military sphere and mutual reduction of armed forces in the common border area.
Following Uzbekistan's accession to this format, the Declaration on the Establishment of the SCO was adopted in June 2001 in the city of Shanghai, which stated that cooperation between the states within the framework of the new Organisation would contribute to a more effective joint use of emerging opportunities and to countering new challenges and threats in the dynamic development of political multipolarity, economic and information globalisation in the 21st century.
The principles of mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of state borders, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of force in international relations, renunciation of unilateral military superiority in the adjacent areas have formed the basis of SCO activities.
Furthermore, it was clearly stated that the organisation's activity is not directed against third countries and international organisations, on the contrary, it was prepared to develop dialogue, contacts and cooperation with them in all forms. The SCO is not a political and military bloc.
There are no supranational structures within the organisation and all decisions are made on the basis of consensus.
The concept of the "Shanghai spirit", the main content of which is mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity and striving for joint development, has made SCO particularly attractive.
Today, 19 years later, we can confidently say that in such a short period of time by historical standards, the SCO has successfully built up and acquired a worthy place in the modern system of international relations.
An extensive legal and regulatory framework has been developed within the Organisation, the cornerstones of which are the SCO Charter and the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
On the whole, more than 1,000 agreements and regulatory documents regulate the multifaceted interaction between the Member States.
The practical orientation of SCO activities was largely determined by the signing of the Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism three months before the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York. The adoption of this document demonstrated that the SCO founding states were already clearly aware of the growing threats to international security and stability and embarked on the path of uncompromising fight against them.
Today, a solid package of documents regulating various aspects of the SCO countries' counter-terrorism activities has been formed.
The last important step in this area was the adoption in 2017 of the SCO Convention on Combating Extremism, which is universal in nature and open for accession by any interested countries.
In order to coordinate joint work on the counter-terrorism track, the SCO Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure was established, which is located in Tashkent.
The work of this institution has already earned the highest marks from relevant international structures, including the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the UN Office for Counter-Terrorism and INTERPOL.
Another important area of cooperation within the Organisation is the fight against drug trafficking. The three-level consultative mechanism of the competent authorities of the SCO Member States implements the SCO anti-drug strategy adopted in 2018 and the Programme of Action for its implementation.
Thanks to the joint work of our anti-drug agencies, up to 40% of the opium group drugs intercepted throughout Eurasia are withdrawn from illicit trafficking.
The special emphasis on combating these challenges is primarily dictated by the complex military, political and criminal situation in Afghanistan located on the outer perimeter of the SCO space.
I would like to note that even in the conditions of the current pandemic, the Member States of the Organisation continue to provide all possible assistance to the political settlement in this country.
We believe that this process is one of the most important factors in strengthening security and stability throughout the SCO region and will give a new impetus to the multifaceted interaction of our countries with Afghanistan.
In this regard, we welcome the launch of inclusive inter-Afghan negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha and express our hope for their progressive development, taking into account the interests of all social, political, ethnic and confessional groups of the country in the interests of its peaceful reconstruction and sustainable development.
We stress the non-alternative solution to the intra-Afghan conflict through political dialogue and an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.
At the last meeting of the Council of the SCO Foreign Ministers on September 10, 2020 in Moscow, the readiness for joint work through the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and the implementation of the SCO-Afghanistan contact group Roadmap for further action was confirmed.
The main emphasis in implementing this document will be on strengthening coordination with official Kabul in counter-terrorism activities, combating illicit drug production and smuggling and illegal migration, rebuilding the Afghan economy and developing cultural and humanitarian ties.
An important event in the history of the SCO was the accession of India and Pakistan to its ranks in 2017, which made the Organisation transcontinental.
Today, almost half of the world's population lives in the SCO region, and about a quarter of world GDP is produced.
These figures more than convincingly reflect the huge potential of the SCO, the implementation of which is becoming a priority issue on its current agenda.
The SCO, while continuing to address common political and security challenges, to look for the best mechanisms to expand economic ties and deepen cultural and humanitarian contacts, is gradually developing primarily as a partnership type organisation.
In general, the experience of the SCO can be considered the first experience in the history of building a truly equal partnership of equilibrium, multiscale states with different economic and political potential, cultural and civilisation characteristics.
The SCO member states form the core of the Eurasian continent, and their relations and interaction will determine the future development of this vast territory for years to come.
Taking into account the format of communication built within the SCO, joint developments and existing agreements, the Organisation is the largest (both in terms of territory and population) and therefore the key Eurasian platform for international cooperation.
The SCO has found itself at the centre of large-scale economic initiatives which, according to experts, will be of central importance in determining the future development path of Eurasia.
The idea of interfacing or bridging efforts to implement these large-scale initiatives is being widely discussed.
It is in the institutional specifics of the SCO that its unique role in the Eurasian space may lie.
In this connection, the inclusion of India and Pakistan suggests the way forward for the organisation.
At present, in addition to the G8 members, the SCO has four observers (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia), six dialogue partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey) and ten countries applying for observer and dialogue partner status (Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Maldives, Ukraine, Iraq, Vietnam, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar).
In other words, one way or another, almost three dozen Eurasian countries are already in SCO orbit.
There is a common understanding within the Organisation that joint work in the area of ensuring regional security and stability must be supported by the active development of trade and economic ties.
In this regard, the SCO has become a promising format for docking national development strategies, cross-border projects and multilateral integration initiatives.
In particular, one such project is the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which provides for the creation of a transcontinental trade and transport infrastructure within the framework of the "Economic Belt of the Silk Road" and "XXI Century Silk Road" projects.
Their geographical area covers not only the SCO space, but also South-East Asia and the Middle East, with the subsequent prospect of entering European markets via land and sea corridors along the Eurasian Continent.
The concept of a "Greater Eurasian Partnership", put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015, which implies joint development in line with "integration of integration", i.e. flexible and close interconnection of networks of free trade zones, parallel developing inter-regional trade and economic alliances and multilateral integration processes, including the involvement of partners from ASEAN and the European Union, also deserves much attention.
Another promising project that shows the defining role of the SCO space is the North-South international transport corridor created to attract transit freight flows from India, Iran and other Gulf countries to Northern and Western Europe.
In the same context, we should consider projects aimed at ensuring the logistical connectivity of the Central Asian region with Afghanistan, which could not only contribute to a more dynamic recovery of the Afghan economy, but also provide direct access for land countries to sea ports in South Asia.
The successful integration of the economic and integration capabilities of our countries is an important contribution to the implementation of the priority objectives of improving the well-being and living standards of the population in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030.
In this regard, at the last meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in November 2019 in Tashkent it was agreed to continue joint work on strengthening cooperation in the areas of trade, production, energy, transport, investment, finance, agriculture, customs, telecommunications and artificial intelligence.
Thus, the SCO has become an optimal platform for discussion of topical issues on the international agenda by the states that make up the "heart" of the Eurasian continent, and a reliable partner of the UN, which leads regional diplomacy and contributes to solving the most pressing problems of security and sustainable development.
Undoubtedly, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has proved to be an unprecedented challenge not only for individual countries but also for inter-state institutions as a whole.
I would like to note that in these difficult times the SCO has demonstrated its potential as an effective platform for combating sudden epidemiological risks, which has received the highest international recognition, in particular, from the UN Secretary General, our colleagues from ASEAN, the European Union, OSCE and the League of Arab States.
Our countries have quickly realised that no state will be able to ensure epidemiological safety by suppressing coronavirus only on its own territory as long as the disease spreads widely among its neighbours.
During the acute period of the pandemic, they showed a high degree of solidarity by giving each other moral and political support.
There was an intensive exchange of epidemiological and organisational experience and financial, economic and food aid was provided to the members of the organisation most affected by the virus.
At the forthcoming SCO summit to be held on November, 10 in a video format, it is planned to approve a comprehensive action plan to combat epidemics, which provides for joint research, development of vaccines and effective disease treatment methods.
Given the sharp decline in the world economy caused by the pandemic, which will be the deepest since the World War II, the most important task is to develop anti-crisis measures and collective actions that will contribute to the further progressive development of multilateral trade, economic, investment and financial cooperation.
In the near future the leaders of our countries intend to approve the Action Plan for the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025, which includes about 150 practical measures aimed at improving the multifaceted activities of the Organisation in the next five years. In the course of its implementation, special attention will be paid to measures aimed at economic recovery in the post-Pandemic period.
I believe that in the future we could think about synchronising SCO efforts in this area with other major regional associations, including ASEAN.
In addition, the issues of joint development of transport and logistics infrastructure, including in remote areas, remain of great importance.
In this context, timely proposals have been made within the SCO to create a special mechanism of a "green corridor" for transit cargo transportation for the free passage of imports and exports of socially important products and personal protective equipment.
In the context of the pandemic, the creation of a "flexible system" of food reserves is also being discussed with the aim of practical and meaningful implementation of the provisions of the SCO Food Security Cooperation Programme aimed at ensuring stability of supply and market for agricultural products in the region.
The coronavirus pandemic not only posed an immediate threat to life and health worldwide and destabilised the international economy, but also stimulated significant challenges to global and regional security.
Above all, the challenges in the field of information and communication technologies have become more acute due to internet fraud and hacker attacks on government institutions and business structures.
In this regard, it would be prudent to intensify multilateral contacts on international information security issues at leading specialized regional platforms, including the SCO and ASEAN.
I believe that the synergy of our experience and joint efforts in this area would make a significant contribution to the global discussion on establishing a comprehensive list of rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of states in the information space within the UN.
The current difficult social situation aggravates the risks associated with increased criminal activity, illegal migration and human trafficking.
In these circumstances, it is important to maintain regular dialogue between the relevant agencies and multilateral institutions, including through the SCO RATS, in order to exchange information and develop coordinated policies to combat terrorist threats.
In this case, I would like to focus on another promising aspect of cooperation between the SCO, ASEAN and our other partners.
One of the priorities of our policy should be active work with young people aimed at preventing their involvement in extremist activities, ensuring conditions for successful socialisation and realisation of the creative potential of the younger generation, development of intercultural and inter-civilisation dialogue.
In this context, the SCO University is also an important mechanism, the first meeting of which was held this summer. As it develops, this institution will accumulate the most advanced distance education methods created in the SCO region.
I believe that the subsequent exchange of experience in the field of educational programmes between SCO and ASEAN institutions will make a long-term constructive contribution to shaping our common space of security and sustainable development.
At the same time, it would be promising to expand contacts between the SCO Youth Council and specialized structures in other regions of Eurasia, including in the context of stimulating business and entrepreneurial activity of the younger generation and the positive use of their natural need to study advanced digital technologies.
I am sure that today we will have a fruitful and informative discussion. Thank you for your attention. I will gladly answer all your questions.
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the National University of Singapore and personally to Mr Kausikan for organising today's event.
Our meeting is dedicated to the place and role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in shaping the modern architecture of security and sustainable development in Eurasia. And this topic has been chosen for discussion as an appropriate one.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly revealed the interconnectivity and interdependence of the modern world, and put the issue of improving the mechanisms of multilateral cooperation at the global and regional levels on the international agenda.
At the same time, this is not only a matter of traditional interstate cooperation, but also of strengthening coordination between leading regional associations, which undoubtedly include the SCO and ASEAN.
In order to present a more comprehensive image of our Organisation and its contribution to the modern world order to our esteemed audience, I would like to take a brief historical excursion into the recent past.
The creation of the SCO was, above all, a result of profound changes in the international political landscape due to the collapse of the bipolar system as well as the emergence of the newly independent states in the centre of Eurasia.
Accordingly, there was a need to build a qualitatively new system of interstate communication based not on ideological confrontation, but on the principles of equality of states, mutual and respect for trust between them.
The establishment of the SCO was preceded by the formalisation of the Shanghai Five in April 1996 with the participation of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, which had concluded agreements on confidence building in the military sphere and mutual reduction of armed forces in the common border area.
Following Uzbekistan's accession to this format, the Declaration on the Establishment of the SCO was adopted in June 2001 in the city of Shanghai, which stated that cooperation between the states within the framework of the new Organisation would contribute to a more effective joint use of emerging opportunities and to countering new challenges and threats in the dynamic development of political multipolarity, economic and information globalisation in the 21st century.
The principles of mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of state borders, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of force in international relations, renunciation of unilateral military superiority in the adjacent areas have formed the basis of SCO activities.
Furthermore, it was clearly stated that the organisation's activity is not directed against third countries and international organisations, on the contrary, it was prepared to develop dialogue, contacts and cooperation with them in all forms. The SCO is not a political and military bloc.
There are no supranational structures within the organisation and all decisions are made on the basis of consensus.
The concept of the "Shanghai spirit", the main content of which is mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity and striving for joint development, has made SCO particularly attractive.
Today, 19 years later, we can confidently say that in such a short period of time by historical standards, the SCO has successfully built up and acquired a worthy place in the modern system of international relations.
An extensive legal and regulatory framework has been developed within the Organisation, the cornerstones of which are the SCO Charter and the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
On the whole, more than 1,000 agreements and regulatory documents regulate the multifaceted interaction between the Member States.
The practical orientation of SCO activities was largely determined by the signing of the Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism three months before the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York. The adoption of this document demonstrated that the SCO founding states were already clearly aware of the growing threats to international security and stability and embarked on the path of uncompromising fight against them.
Today, a solid package of documents regulating various aspects of the SCO countries' counter-terrorism activities has been formed.
The last important step in this area was the adoption in 2017 of the SCO Convention on Combating Extremism, which is universal in nature and open for accession by any interested countries.
In order to coordinate joint work on the counter-terrorism track, the SCO Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure was established, which is located in Tashkent.
The work of this institution has already earned the highest marks from relevant international structures, including the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the UN Office for Counter-Terrorism and INTERPOL.
Another important area of cooperation within the Organisation is the fight against drug trafficking. The three-level consultative mechanism of the competent authorities of the SCO Member States implements the SCO anti-drug strategy adopted in 2018 and the Programme of Action for its implementation.
Thanks to the joint work of our anti-drug agencies, up to 40% of the opium group drugs intercepted throughout Eurasia are withdrawn from illicit trafficking.
The special emphasis on combating these challenges is primarily dictated by the complex military, political and criminal situation in Afghanistan located on the outer perimeter of the SCO space.
I would like to note that even in the conditions of the current pandemic, the Member States of the Organisation continue to provide all possible assistance to the political settlement in this country.
We believe that this process is one of the most important factors in strengthening security and stability throughout the SCO region and will give a new impetus to the multifaceted interaction of our countries with Afghanistan.
In this regard, we welcome the launch of inclusive inter-Afghan negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha and express our hope for their progressive development, taking into account the interests of all social, political, ethnic and confessional groups of the country in the interests of its peaceful reconstruction and sustainable development.
We stress the non-alternative solution to the intra-Afghan conflict through political dialogue and an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.
At the last meeting of the Council of the SCO Foreign Ministers on September 10, 2020 in Moscow, the readiness for joint work through the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and the implementation of the SCO-Afghanistan contact group Roadmap for further action was confirmed.
The main emphasis in implementing this document will be on strengthening coordination with official Kabul in counter-terrorism activities, combating illicit drug production and smuggling and illegal migration, rebuilding the Afghan economy and developing cultural and humanitarian ties.
An important event in the history of the SCO was the accession of India and Pakistan to its ranks in 2017, which made the Organisation transcontinental.
Today, almost half of the world's population lives in the SCO region, and about a quarter of world GDP is produced.
These figures more than convincingly reflect the huge potential of the SCO, the implementation of which is becoming a priority issue on its current agenda.
The SCO, while continuing to address common political and security challenges, to look for the best mechanisms to expand economic ties and deepen cultural and humanitarian contacts, is gradually developing primarily as a partnership type organisation.
In general, the experience of the SCO can be considered the first experience in the history of building a truly equal partnership of equilibrium, multiscale states with different economic and political potential, cultural and civilisation characteristics.
The SCO member states form the core of the Eurasian continent, and their relations and interaction will determine the future development of this vast territory for years to come.
Taking into account the format of communication built within the SCO, joint developments and existing agreements, the Organisation is the largest (both in terms of territory and population) and therefore the key Eurasian platform for international cooperation.
The SCO has found itself at the centre of large-scale economic initiatives which, according to experts, will be of central importance in determining the future development path of Eurasia.
The idea of interfacing or bridging efforts to implement these large-scale initiatives is being widely discussed.
It is in the institutional specifics of the SCO that its unique role in the Eurasian space may lie.
In this connection, the inclusion of India and Pakistan suggests the way forward for the organisation.
At present, in addition to the G8 members, the SCO has four observers (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia), six dialogue partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey) and ten countries applying for observer and dialogue partner status (Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Maldives, Ukraine, Iraq, Vietnam, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar).
In other words, one way or another, almost three dozen Eurasian countries are already in SCO orbit.
There is a common understanding within the Organisation that joint work in the area of ensuring regional security and stability must be supported by the active development of trade and economic ties.
In this regard, the SCO has become a promising format for docking national development strategies, cross-border projects and multilateral integration initiatives.
In particular, one such project is the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which provides for the creation of a transcontinental trade and transport infrastructure within the framework of the "Economic Belt of the Silk Road" and "XXI Century Silk Road" projects.
Their geographical area covers not only the SCO space, but also South-East Asia and the Middle East, with the subsequent prospect of entering European markets via land and sea corridors along the Eurasian Continent.
The concept of a "Greater Eurasian Partnership", put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015, which implies joint development in line with "integration of integration", i.e. flexible and close interconnection of networks of free trade zones, parallel developing inter-regional trade and economic alliances and multilateral integration processes, including the involvement of partners from ASEAN and the European Union, also deserves much attention.
Another promising project that shows the defining role of the SCO space is the North-South international transport corridor created to attract transit freight flows from India, Iran and other Gulf countries to Northern and Western Europe.
In the same context, we should consider projects aimed at ensuring the logistical connectivity of the Central Asian region with Afghanistan, which could not only contribute to a more dynamic recovery of the Afghan economy, but also provide direct access for land countries to sea ports in South Asia.
The successful integration of the economic and integration capabilities of our countries is an important contribution to the implementation of the priority objectives of improving the well-being and living standards of the population in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030.
In this regard, at the last meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in November 2019 in Tashkent it was agreed to continue joint work on strengthening cooperation in the areas of trade, production, energy, transport, investment, finance, agriculture, customs, telecommunications and artificial intelligence.
Thus, the SCO has become an optimal platform for discussion of topical issues on the international agenda by the states that make up the "heart" of the Eurasian continent, and a reliable partner of the UN, which leads regional diplomacy and contributes to solving the most pressing problems of security and sustainable development.
Undoubtedly, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has proved to be an unprecedented challenge not only for individual countries but also for inter-state institutions as a whole.
I would like to note that in these difficult times the SCO has demonstrated its potential as an effective platform for combating sudden epidemiological risks, which has received the highest international recognition, in particular, from the UN Secretary General, our colleagues from ASEAN, the European Union, OSCE and the League of Arab States.
Our countries have quickly realised that no state will be able to ensure epidemiological safety by suppressing coronavirus only on its own territory as long as the disease spreads widely among its neighbours.
During the acute period of the pandemic, they showed a high degree of solidarity by giving each other moral and political support.
There was an intensive exchange of epidemiological and organisational experience and financial, economic and food aid was provided to the members of the organisation most affected by the virus.
At the forthcoming SCO summit to be held on November, 10 in a video format, it is planned to approve a comprehensive action plan to combat epidemics, which provides for joint research, development of vaccines and effective disease treatment methods.
Given the sharp decline in the world economy caused by the pandemic, which will be the deepest since the World War II, the most important task is to develop anti-crisis measures and collective actions that will contribute to the further progressive development of multilateral trade, economic, investment and financial cooperation.
In the near future the leaders of our countries intend to approve the Action Plan for the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025, which includes about 150 practical measures aimed at improving the multifaceted activities of the Organisation in the next five years. In the course of its implementation, special attention will be paid to measures aimed at economic recovery in the post-Pandemic period.
I believe that in the future we could think about synchronising SCO efforts in this area with other major regional associations, including ASEAN.
In addition, the issues of joint development of transport and logistics infrastructure, including in remote areas, remain of great importance.
In this context, timely proposals have been made within the SCO to create a special mechanism of a "green corridor" for transit cargo transportation for the free passage of imports and exports of socially important products and personal protective equipment.
In the context of the pandemic, the creation of a "flexible system" of food reserves is also being discussed with the aim of practical and meaningful implementation of the provisions of the SCO Food Security Cooperation Programme aimed at ensuring stability of supply and market for agricultural products in the region.
The coronavirus pandemic not only posed an immediate threat to life and health worldwide and destabilised the international economy, but also stimulated significant challenges to global and regional security.
Above all, the challenges in the field of information and communication technologies have become more acute due to internet fraud and hacker attacks on government institutions and business structures.
In this regard, it would be prudent to intensify multilateral contacts on international information security issues at leading specialized regional platforms, including the SCO and ASEAN.
I believe that the synergy of our experience and joint efforts in this area would make a significant contribution to the global discussion on establishing a comprehensive list of rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of states in the information space within the UN.
The current difficult social situation aggravates the risks associated with increased criminal activity, illegal migration and human trafficking.
In these circumstances, it is important to maintain regular dialogue between the relevant agencies and multilateral institutions, including through the SCO RATS, in order to exchange information and develop coordinated policies to combat terrorist threats.
In this case, I would like to focus on another promising aspect of cooperation between the SCO, ASEAN and our other partners.
One of the priorities of our policy should be active work with young people aimed at preventing their involvement in extremist activities, ensuring conditions for successful socialisation and realisation of the creative potential of the younger generation, development of intercultural and inter-civilisation dialogue.
In this context, the SCO University is also an important mechanism, the first meeting of which was held this summer. As it develops, this institution will accumulate the most advanced distance education methods created in the SCO region.
I believe that the subsequent exchange of experience in the field of educational programmes between SCO and ASEAN institutions will make a long-term constructive contribution to shaping our common space of security and sustainable development.
At the same time, it would be promising to expand contacts between the SCO Youth Council and specialized structures in other regions of Eurasia, including in the context of stimulating business and entrepreneurial activity of the younger generation and the positive use of their natural need to study advanced digital technologies.
I am sure that today we will have a fruitful and informative discussion. Thank you for your attention. I will gladly answer all your questions.