On 18 November 2021, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met with Secretary of the Party Committee of Anhui Province Zheng Shanjie as part of his working visit to Anhui Province. The officials discussed prospects for interaction between the province and the regions of SCO member states.
Mr Norov informed his colleague about the main results of the anniversary meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council held in Dushanbe in September 2021 and the priorities of Uzbekistan's SCO Chairmanship in 2021-2022. It was noted that the SCO has gained much regional and global prestige during its 20-year history. Based on the Shanghai Spirit principles, the member states are strengthening their political, trade, economic, humanitarian and other types of cooperation. The SCO has become an inalienable factor of stability, security and development in Eurasia and the world as a whole.
Secretary-General Norov noted that earlier this year, the SCO launched a new mechanism, the Meeting of SCO Industry Ministers and started drafting a programme to incentivise industrial cooperation between SCO business communities. The programme provides for the opening of relevant centres in member countries. The SCO Heads of Regions Forum has gained a reputation of an effective venue for business and humanitarian contacts. It also helps implement joint projects at the level of SCO member states' regions. The Anhui Province has everything necessary for playing an important role in promoting cooperation within the Forum framework.
For his part, Secretary Zheng Shanjie described Anhui's economic achievements and reaffirmed its interest in cooperation with the regions of SCO member states, primarily in high technologies and industry.
After the meeting, the SCO Secretariat delegation visited the University of Science and Technology of China and the Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Centre.