At the invitation of the Organising Committee of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov spoke via videoconference at the session titled, The Value and Values of the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
According to the Secretary-General, the two initiatives, the Greater Economic Partnership and Belt and Road Initiative, overlap in many respects, since they have common tasks, a comprehensive approach and openness. Their implementation will undoubtedly allow the efforts of various states to be combined in order to find answers to modern challenges, strengthen economic cooperation on the continent and create conditions for the development of trans-regional transport and energy infrastructures. It was emphasised that in the context of these processes, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation aims to play a systemic role.
The organisation unites almost half of the world's population and covers 60 percent of the territory of Eurasia, thereby creating a single Eurasian space for international cooperation and forming an optimal platform for joining national development strategies, cross-border projects and multilateral integration initiatives.
Mr Norov drew attention to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic, despite all the difficulties and restrictions it caused for international exchanges and freight flows, nevertheless gave a powerful impetus to the expansion of the use of digital technologies in creating new sources of growth, as well as provides new opportunities for the development of cooperation in the transport sector.
It was stressed that the SCO, in active and close cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union member countries and states that support the Chinese BRI, will comprehensively contribute to the establishment of the Greater Eurasian Partnership as a universal multilateral platform for economic interaction and ensuring common values and equal opportunities.