On 9 April, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the People's Republic of China Nikolai Snopkov.
The Secretary-General congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and described Belarus as one of the most active observer states in the SCO.
Vladimir Norov underscored the importance of Belarus' accession to the SCO Member States Agreement on Facilitating International Road Transport. In his opinion, such a step will give a new impetus to the development of trade and economic ties in Eurasia. He pointed out the huge potential for interaction between the SCO countries not only in transport, but also in e-trade, information and communication technologies, and other areas.
The Secretary-General said that further deepening trade and economic cooperation within the SCO requires more active engagement of the observer states and dialogue partners in the joint work at the level of experts and ministers in charge of economic, educational and cultural issues. According to him, the SCO roadmap for the development of interaction with observer states and dialogue partners should play a special role here.
In his turn, Nikolai Snopkov spoke in favour of further strengthening ties between the Republic of Belarus and SCO member countries and noted that the SCO had gained respect on the international stage. He stressed the vitality of the "Shanghai spirit," which became a driving force in promoting international cooperation and comprehensive economic interaction within the SCO space.
The Belarusian Ambassador supported the SCO education and culture agenda and pointed out the special importance of cooperation in youth affairs, ensuring information security and developing e-commerce.
They also exchanged opinions on the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and cooperation within the SCO family in combatting this disease. The Secretary-General told the Ambassador about the measures taken by the SCO member states in this area.
The meeting was held in a friendly and constructive manner.