Your Excellency Secretary-General Zhang Ming,
Your Excellencies Diplomatic Envoys,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning! It gives me great pleasure to attend the welcome reception for Secretary-General Zhang Ming, my old friend, and join you in the celebration of Nowruz. Let me begin by extending, on behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, warm congratulations to Secretary-General Zhang on his inauguration and festive greetings to all of you.
Mr. Zhang Ming was appointed the new Secretary-General of the SCO by the heads of member states at the Dushanbe Summit last September. A veteran diplomat, he has held many important posts and amassed a wealth of experience. We believe that as Secretary-General of the SCO, Mr. Zhang Ming will earnestly fulfill his duties, implement the consensus of the heads of member states, and make his contribution to the development of the Organization.
Over the past 21 years, the SCO has traveled an extraordinary journey to become an important, constructive force in international affairs. As a Chinese saying goes, "Success hinges on meeting the aspirations of the people." In the face of a complex international landscape, the SCO needs to respond actively to the expectations of the people of regional countries, continue to promote the Shanghai Spirit, and act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The SCO must stand firm against attempts to resurrect the Cold War mentality, stoke bloc confrontation or impose unlawful unilateral sanctions, while standing firm for international fairness and justice. China will work with all other parties under an abiding commitment to the founding mission of the Organization, and forge ahead toward a new type of international relations and a closer SCO community with a shared future, in a bid to add more positive energy to peace, stability and development in the region and beyond.
The SCO cannot develop without the joint efforts of all sides, notably the commendable work of its permanent body. The Secretariat shoulders the important responsibility of advancing SCO cooperation across the board and implementing the SCO leaders' consensus. As the host country of the Secretariat, China will stay in coordination and collaboration with all other parties, give full support to the Secretary-General and the Secretariat, and facilitate new progress and new achievements in every undertaking of the Organization.
Distinguished guests, we are also here to celebrate Nowruz, the Festival of Spring. Marking the arrival of spring, a time of renewal and vitality, Nowruz embodies people's best wishes for the year ahead. On this auspicious day, I once again wish Secretary-General Zhang Ming every success in his new post. I wish our distinguished guests a happy Nowruz and the best of luck. And I wish the big family of the SCO a brighter future.
Thank you.