On 27 September 2019 SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov had a meeting with Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, at the offices of EU Delegation to the UN in New York.
Vladimir Norov briefed his interlocutor on the SCO's missions and objectives, the organisation's bodies and mechanisms and on the results of the Bishkek Summit held in June of this year. He also laid out promising areas of interaction for the organisation with the European Union and its institutions.
Helga Schmid stressed the EU's interest in cooperating with the SCO in Central Asia in countering the region's current threats and challenges and in socioeconomic development as part of the respective programmes of the European Union for that region.
The parties shared their views on establishing practical interaction within the areas of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe as well as other international and regional associations.
They also discussed prospects for cooperation between the two organisations, holding joint events involving analytical and research institutes.
The leaders agreed to maintain working contacts in future.
Helga Schmid was appointed Secretary General of the European External Action Service on 1 September 2016.
Secretary General of the External Action Service of the European Union is executive manager of diplomatic service and is subordinate to the head of European diplomacy. The duties include overseeing proper functioning of the service, including the administrative and budget components, and also ensuring coordination between the Service's departments and EU delegations throughout the world.