Dear Permanent Representatives of SCO Member States,
Dear Journalists and Experts!
Allow me to welcome and wish you a Happy New Year!
Today we have gathered on the briefing by Mr. Zohir Ozod Saidzoda, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the People's Republic of China, on the priorities of Tajikistan's Presidency of the SCO.
It is particularly gratifying to note that Tajikistan has the honor of chairing the SCO in its jubilee year.
Over the past 20 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has established itself as an effective mechanism for multilateral cooperation.
Today, the SCO, besides peace and stability, is one of the key drivers of sustainable development in the region.
It is the result of joint efforts of all SCO member states, who adhering to the "Shanghai spirit", work shoulder to shoulder to achieve common goals and objectives.
The past 20 years have seen the active development of multifaceted cooperation and the successful alignment of national and regional interests.
With the accession of India and Pakistan, the SCO has become the largest regional structure in the world.
In addition to security challenges, the SCO has been increasingly focused on joint development, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation in recent years.
The SCO has been actively promoting its member states to match their positions and approaches to current international issues, regional challenges, and to focus on common goals through equitable cooperation. This peculiarity of SCO, along with its democratic principles of cooperation, makes the object of growing interest in the international community.
It is evidenced by growing number of countries willing to be actively participating in the Organization's activities and events.
In general, given the current profound transformation of international relations, the SCO continues to establish itself as one of the important pillars of the world order, enhancing its role as a mechanism of multilateral interaction that makes a significant contribution to maintaining peace and stability and ensuring development of its member states.
The SCO has convincingly confirmed its significant potential as an effective platform for responding to emerging challenges and for working to overcome the political, social, trade and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dear participants of the briefing,
Tajikistan is a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and has contributed greatly to the development of its activities.
Tajikistan chaired the SCO twice, first in 2008 and 2014, and has written new chapters in the history of the development of SCO through its initiatives and practical actions, as well as by successfully holding SCO Summits; the outcomes of which opened new horizons for multifaceted cooperation within the Organization.
I am confident that the experience gained over these years and the potential of our Tajik colleagues will allow us to hold all the planned events and the jubilee SCO Summit in Dushanbe at the highest organizational and substantive level.
For its part, the SCO Secretariat will do its utmost to ensure that Tajikistan's presidency in the Organization achieves its goals.
I would like to particularly note that Tajikistan intends to work on the principle of continuity to further develop SCO and make full use of its potential.
Speaking at the SCO Moscow summit in November 2020, President of Tajikistan Mr. Emomali Rahmon outlined the challenges and threats that the countries of the world will have to face, and set forth the priorities of Tajikistan's presidency in 2021.
It was noted that against the backdrop of the pandemic, various countries may face threats to food security in the context of which it is extremely important to increase trade and economic cooperation in the SCO region.
The Ambassador of Tajikistan to China, Mr. Zahir Ozod Saidzoda, will speak in more detail about the priorities of Tajikistan's presidency, planned activities and events.
Before giving the floor to Mr. Ambassador, allow us to present the SCO 20th anniversary logo that has been approved by the Chairman of the SCO Council of Heads of State in 2020-2021, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Emomali Rahmon as a symbol of the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The symbol is designed as a number "20", with the SCO emblem framed by the flags of the SCO member states, a satin cloth — an element of Tajik culture, and the inscription "Dushanbe 2021", the venue of the SCO anniversary summit.
It is now my pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to China, Zohir Ozod Saidzoda.