PRESS RELEASE on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of State Council Meeting

On 13-14 June 2019, Bishkek hosted a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Heads of State Council.

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov chaired the meeting.

SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Jumakhon Giyosov also took part in the meeting.

President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga, as well as UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergei Lebedev, Acting Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation Valery Semerikov, Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board Tigran Sargsyan and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Partnerships with the Middle East and Central Asia Rashid Khalikov attended the event.

The heads of the Member States reviewed the implementation of the results of the 2018 Qingdao Summit and the priority goals for SCO development in the context of current global political and economic processes. The parties' agreed-upon positions are reflected in the Bishkek Declaration that was adopted.

The Member States emphasised that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an effective and constructive mechanism for multilateral cooperation that plays an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability and in facilitating the prosperity and development of the Member States. It was noted that the SCO had asserted itself as a solid platform for strengthening mutual understanding, trust-based dialogue and equitable partnership in the interests of building international relations of a new type, based on the generally accepted principles and standards of international law, as well as forging a common perception of the concept for creating a community of humankind's common destiny.

The Member States underscored their intention to continue to rely on the goals and objectives of the SCO Charter and to follow the Shanghai Spirit that embodies mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and a striving for joint development. Efforts will be continued to promote practical cooperation in politics, security, trade and the economy, including finance, investment, transport, energy and agriculture, as well as the development of intra-SCO cultural and humanitarian ties. They will focus on deepening diverse mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested states, primarily the SCO observer states and dialogue partners.

While exchanging opinions on topical international and regional matters, the Member States emphasised the need for expanding joint efforts to ensure reliable security and sustainable development in the SCO region. In this connection, they noted the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested states in line with generally accepted standards and principles of international law, above all the UN Charter.

They reaffirmed the SCO Member States' commitment to enhancing the central coordinating role of the UN and its Security Council as a body vested with the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security under the UN Charter. In this context, they noted the intentions of the Republic of India, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Tajikistan to be elected as rotating members of the UN Security Council, as well as the intentions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan to be elected to the UN Human Rights Council.

The Member States resolutely condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They urge the international community to strengthen global cooperation in efforts against terrorism under the UN's central role by fully implementing the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in line with the UN Charter and the principles of international law, without politicisation and double standards, while respecting the sovereignty and independence of all states and also to press for consensus regarding the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

In this connection, they noted the signing of a cooperation memorandum between the Executive Directorate of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee and the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in March 2019, as well as the holding of the high-level international conference International and Regional Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and its Financing through Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organised Crime (Dushanbe, 16-17 May 2019).

While stressing that there can be no justification for any acts of terrorism and extremism, the Member States consider it important to implement comprehensive measures to more effectively counter terrorism and its ideology, to expose and eliminate various factors and conditions that facilitate terrorism and extremism. They note the unacceptability of interfering in the domestic affairs of states under the pretext of countering terrorism and extremism, as well as the unacceptability of using terrorist, extremist and radical groups for mercenary purposes.

The SCO Member States that have signed the Code of Conduct to Achieve a Terrorism-Free World advocate the consistent implementation of its provisions (New York City, 28 September 2018).

The SCO Member States consider it necessary to ensure the earliest possible enactment of a protocol on security guarantees to the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone Treaty for all signatory states.

They emphasised the unacceptability of attempts to ensure one country's security at the expense of other counties' security and noted that the unilateral and unlimited buildup of missile defence systems by certain countries or groups of states was detrimental to international security and a destabilising factor in the world.

The Member States note the importance of keeping outer space free from weapons and the top-priority importance of unfailingly complying with the current regulatory-legal framework that stipulates the exclusively peaceful use of outer space. They praise the work of the Group of UN Government Experts for reviewing and submitting recommendations on substantive elements of a legally binding international document for preventing an arms race in outer space and also stipulating reliable guarantees for the no first placement of arms in outer space.

The SCO Member States need to address various high-priority tasks, including the illegal cultivation, production, circulation, sales and dissemination of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors. They reaffirmed their intention to step up joint efforts to fight the narcotic drug threat, including under the three international drug control conventions and other related legal documents.

The SCO Member States call for unfailingly honouring the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. While recognising the growing threat of chemical and biological terrorism, they emphasised the need to hold multilateral talks on an international convention to combat chemical and biological terrorist attacks.

The SCO Member States reaffirmed their determination to ensure regional security and stability. In this context, they support the work of the government and people of Afghanistan (with support from the international community) for restoring peace and ensuring the country's sustained development. The SCO Member States once again express their willingness to facilitate a political settlement under the guidance of the people of Afghanistan and with their involvement on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group.

The SCO Member States consider it important to steadily implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding the Iranian nuclear programme under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that calls on all the parties to fulfil their obligations unfailingly.

They underscored a common position, noting that there is no alternative to resolving the situation in Syria through dialogue, while ensuring Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. They emphasised the fact that cooperation within the framework of the Astana format had created the conditions for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

They emphasised their determination to step up efforts to consolidate the economic component of SCO activities and cooperation for the purposes of jointly forging an open world economy. They prioritised the importance of merging the positions of the SCO Member States in conditions of the expanded protectionist actions of certain states that undermine the foundations of the multilateral trade system and create artificial obstacles for the development of trade, economic, financial and investment cooperation. The consensus of the SCO Member States on the importance of preserving and enhancing the role of the World Trade Organisation has serious significance.

Under these conditions, the SCO Member States intend to focus on expanding and deepening cooperation in trade, finance, investment, transport, energy, agriculture, innovation, cutting-edge technology, etc. Serious attention will be given to increasing the share of national currencies in mutual financial transactions and settlements.

The SCO Member States will promote exchange of experience and further development of international cooperation in countering corruption.
Cooperation in healthcare, science, education, culture, sport, tourism, etc., remains an important element of SCO activities. Agreements for expanding media, physical fitness and sport cooperation will be used to promote progress in these areas.

The creation of a broad, open, mutually beneficial and equitable partnership within the SCO space, based on merging the respective potential of the region's countries, international organisations and multilateral associations, was identified as a promising objective. Measures to fully implement the potential of the SCO Business Council, the Inter-Bank Consortium and the SCO Youth Council will be used to accomplish this.

The Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan reaffirmed support for China's Belt and Road initiative and praised the results of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (Beijing, 25-27 April 2019). They noted the current efforts to jointly implement this promising initiative, including efforts to align the Eurasian Economic Union projects with those of the Belt and Road initiative.

The SCO Member States intend to strengthen the SCO's international standing and to increase the organisation's role in global and regional affairs. The signing of documents for cooperation between the SCO Secretariat and a number of specialised UN agencies, as well as the Astana International Financial Centre, has special significance in this context.

The Member States intend to promote the development of technology parks and business incubators in the SCO region for the purpose of improving the regional business climate and supporting youth startup projects, including the International Youth Business Incubator of SCO countries within the framework of the SCO Youth Council.

In the context of cooperation on climate change matters, the SCO Member States noted the agreements on the guiding principles for the practical implementation of the Paris Agreement reached at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Katowice.

The main results of the SCO's 2018 activities were reflected in reports by the SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). They noted the considerable contribution of the SCO permanent bodies to improving intra-SCO coordination and practical interaction.

The following events were held after the Qingdao Summit (9-10 June 2018):

— Meeting of Heads of Government Council (prime ministers) (Dushanbe, 11-12 October 2018)
— Meeting of Security Council Secretaries (Bishkek, 14-15 May 2019)
— Meeting of Foreign Ministers Council of (Bishkek, 21-22 May 2018)
— Meetings of the Council of National Coordinators (Bishkek, Beijing, Kunming and Dushanbe, August 2018-June 2019)
— Meeting of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Council (Tashkent, 15 March 2019)
— The first meeting of the heads of parliamentary committees (Bishkek, 14 December 2018)
— Meeting of heads of border services (Chong-Sary-Oy, the Issyk-Kul Region of the Kyrgyz Republic, 23 September 2018; Tashkent, 5 June 2019)
— Meeting of justice ministers (Cholpon-Ata, 24 August 2018)
— Meetings of the heads of science and technology ministries and agencies (Moscow, 18 April 2018)
— Meeting of agriculture ministers (Bishkek, 18 September 2018)
— Meeting of ministers responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade operations (Dushanbe, 19 September 2018)
— Meeting of prosecutors general (Dushanbe, 20 September 2018)
— Meeting of education ministers (Astana, 17 October 2018)
— Meeting of defence ministers (Bishkek, 28-29 April 2019)
— Meeting of culture ministers (Bishkek, June 2019)
— Meeting of heads of drug control agencies (Bishkek, 24-25 April 2019)
— The first meeting of heads of railway administrations (Tashkent, 19 September 2018)
— Special high-level event UN-SCO Cooperation Aimed at Strengthening Peace, Security and Stability (New York City, 27 November 2018)
— SCO Women's Forum (Bishkek, 16 May 2019)
— Forum of representatives of SCO media outlets (Bishkek, 23-24 May 2019)
— Meetings of the SCO Business Council Board (Bishkek, 14 May 2019) and the Council of the SCO Inter-Bank Consortium (Bishkek, 11-12 June 2019)
— SCO Youth Camp (Beijing and Qingdao, 25 April-2 May 2019)
— other multi-level events.

The leaders of the Member States noted the successful organisation and holding of the 3rd World Nomad Games (Cholpon-Ata, 2-8 September 2018).

The leaders of the Member States praised the Kyrgyz Republic's work during its presidency of the SCO and thanked the Kyrgyz side for its hospitality and for efficiently organising the Bishkek Summit.

Russia will be next to assume the presidency of the SCO. In 2020, the Russian Federation will host a regular SCO Heads of State Council Meeting.