On 21 April 2017, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev received foreign ministers of the SCO member-states at the Akorda Presidential Palace.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlan Abdyldayev, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Sirodjidin Aslov, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov, Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Yevgeny Sysoyev, and Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan for International Issues Nurlan Onzhanov.
In his welcoming remarks, the head of state noted the importance of the SCO foreign ministerial meeting held ahead of the SCO Summit in Astana.
"As the SCO Chair, we attach much importance to the upcoming summit scheduled for June of this year. We are chairing the Organisation against the backdrop of complicated processes in the region and the world," the President of Kazakhstan said.
Nursultan Nazarbayev noted a number of issues on the SCO agenda, including the need to expedite the approval of the SCO Concept of Environmental Cooperation, sign the SCO Convention against Extremism, adopt a statement on this issue, as well as the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy.
"The economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation within the SCO is of great importance. It is necessary to highlight yet another significant issue on the agenda of the upcoming summit: taking the decision to finalise the procedure for accepting India and Pakistan as full-fledged SCO members. We will also approve the Astana Declaration, which will define our plans for the future," the head of state said.
Source: Website of the President of Kazakhstan