SCO becomes most comprehensive regional organization with accession of Pakistan, India: Chinese FM

BEIJING: A Chinese Foreign ministry’s spokesperson Thursday said that with the accession of India and Pakistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become the most comprehensive regional organization with the largest population, the most extensive geographical area, and huge potential and hoped it would play a more active role in regional and international affairs.

“At the meeting of foreign ministerial councils of the SCO member states on April 24th, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi together with the foreign ministers of the member states, including Pakistan and India, organized preparations for the SCO Qingdao Summit and promoted the SCO and developed in-depth exchange of views and reached important consensus,” Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing here.

She said, the foreign ministers unanimously stated that they would continue to uphold the “Shanghai spirit,” not forgetting the initial intentions, advancing with the times, enhancing solidarity and mutual trust, deepening cooperation in various fields, and promoting the building of a new type of international relations and human destiny community of mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation.

The spokesperson said the parties would support China as the rotating presidency to do a good job of preparatory work for the Qingdao Summit, ensure that the summit will achieve fruitful results, and promote the SCO to achieve new development at a new starting point.

Hua Chunying said, since the establishment of the SCO around 17 years ago, member states have upheld the “Shanghai spirit” of “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and seeking common development”, continued to consolidate political mutual trust, and vigorously promote cooperation in security, economy, humanities, and other fields.

The extensive international exchanges had made important contributions to safeguarding regional security and stability and promoting common development and prosperity, she added.