SCO Secretary-General meets with Arab League countries’ ambassadors to China

On 5 December 2019 SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov had a meeting with Arab League countries' ambassadors to China and representatives of Arab League diplomatic missions in the country at the SCO Secretariat.

Dr Abdullah Saleh al-Saadi, the Ambassador of Oman to China and the doyen of the foreign diplomatic corps in the country, headed the Arab League delegation.

The SCO Secretary-General informed high-ranking diplomats about the history of the SCO, how it was developed, and the achievements in the field of regional security and its efforts to combat terrorism, illegal drug trafficking and organised crime, as well as more active economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation.

"Despite the growing threats, challenges and tension in various parts of the world, the SCO has turned into an influential player on the international arena over a short period of time. Thanks to the Shanghai Spirit and mutual trust, member states aspire to mutually beneficial joint development," Vladimir Norov said.

Speaking about prospects of cooperation between both organisations, he noted that the creation of a zone of safe, stable, wide-ranging, open, mutually beneficial and equitable cooperation was becoming highly important for the SCO and the Arab League when factors of instability and risks linked with expanding conflicts in some regions and a greater terrorist threat, the merger between terrorism and trans-national crime and the return of foreign militants-terrorists from hotbeds of tension continue to increase all over the world.

The ambassadors of the Arab League countries praised the SCO's role and noted that the SCO Secretary-General's explanations were quite informative and useful. In their opinion, there are broad collaboration opportunities, primarily in the sphere of security. They said the Arab League Secretariat was ready to closely cooperate with the SCO Secretariat and to select specific cooperation venues.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue dialogue on ways and methods of formalising relations between both organisations that would serve as a foundation for subsequent collaboration.

Ambassadors of Oman, Palestine, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Somalia, Egypt, Jordan, the Head of the Arab League

Mission to China, Charges d'affaires ad Interim of Libya, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, the Comoro Islands, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia and diplomatic representatives of Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti and Bahrain attended the event.

Those at the gathering received booklets on SCO activities and copies of documents regulating cooperation between SCO member states in the fight against terrorism, extremism and illegal drug trafficking, the development of trade and economic relations, as well as declarations and joint statements passed at the latest meetings of SCO member countries' heads of state and government.