SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov sent a welcome video address to the participants of a roundtable discussion organised by the SCO Centre for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan on the SCO's 20th anniversary.
In his video address, Mr Norov noted that the opening of the centre was a great gift in celebration of the SCO's 20th anniversary and a tangible contribution from the Republic of Tajikistan as the SCO chair.
He emphasised that the centre was designed to become an effective venue for the exchange of views by experts and specialists that will use new approaches. It is very important that the centre's experts are willing to discuss urgent issues in various international, economic and humanitarian areas with a view to further strengthening friendship and neighbourly relations between the SCO member countries.
The SCO Secretary-General emphasised that the SCO is paying much attention to the development of youth cooperation. There is a valid reason for this because there are over 800 million young people in the SCO space. It is important that they support the further development of the SCO.
"This is why we pay special attention to facilitating the physical, mental and moral development of the younger generation and its involvement in large-scale joint development plans. We hope the centre will make a worthy contribution to our common efforts," Mr Norov noted.
Vladimir Norov told the audience that 2021 has been declared the Year of SCO Culture. The centre is becoming an important venue where other nations can learn about the cultural values, traditions, fine arts and folk arts of the SCO countries.
"The centre must actively cooperate with young people because in the future they will be charged with promoting SCO policy," Mr Norov said.
In conclusion, he expressed confidence that the centre's work would help other states learn more about the SCO's activities and that it would expand the partnership between SCO members.
The roundtable discussion was attended by Director of the Centre for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan Abdukhalil Gafurzoda, SCO ex-Secretary-General and Professor at the Academy of State Administration of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Rashid Alimov, and representatives from the diplomatic corps and other foreign guests.
The Centre for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan is a non-government, non-profit public organisation. Its main goals are to strengthen cooperation and friendship between its members, promote mutual trust and neighbourly relations, solidarity between nations and religions, dialogue between societies, exchange of personnel and the development of initiatives and national events.