The 14th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prime ministers’ meeting was held in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan province on Dec 15. A joint communiqué on the outcomes was issued after the meeting.
Following is an English version of the joint communiqué, which can be found on the official website of the SCO.
JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ on the outcomes of the 14th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States
On 14-15 December 2015 in Zhengzhou (Henan province) hosted 14th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter SCO or Organization) Member States, attended by Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Masimov, Premier of the State Council of People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang, Prime Minister of Kyrgyz Republic T. Sariev, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation D. Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan K. Rasulzoda and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan R. Azimov.
Premier of the State Council of People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang presided at the meeting.
Participants in the meeting also included Secretary-General of the SCO D. Mezentsev, Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Zhang Xinfeng, President of the SCO Business Council S. Katyrin and authorized representative of the SCO Interbank Consortium Council V. Dmitriev.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of observer states with the SCO: Chief Executive Officer of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah, Deputy Head of Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus N. Snopkov, Minister of State of External Affairs of the Republic of India Vjay Kumar Singh, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Vaezi, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia Tserendash Oyunbaatar, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, as well as UN Under-Secretary-General, UNESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar, and Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia Gong Jianwei.
Heads of delegations exchanged views in a constructive and businesslike atmosphere on a wide range of issues of international and regional economic growth, discussed prospects and measures for improving economic and humanitarian cooperation for further strengthening of mutual understanding and traditional friendship between peoples of the SCO member states and have agreed on the following:
1. Heads of Governments have noted that world economy is still restoring after the global crisis and this process has not become stable and lasting. With global demand in decline the rate of international trade and investment has slowed down. Additional negative influence on world economy is posed by threats pertaining to terrorism, natural disasters, environmental degradation, spread of dangerous infectious diseases.
In view of this the SCO member states will actively implement the arrangements of the Meeting of Heads of State of the SCO Member States (10 July 2015, Ufa) to promote regional cooperation, mutually create beneficial conditions for investment and business activities, apply efforts to support peaceful development, prosperity and stability of all member states and the region in general, provide input in revival of global economy.
Heads of Governments have confirmed the importance of supporting the process of forming an open, nondiscriminatory and inclusive multilateral trading system based on principles of equality, mutual respect and benefits, which would facilitate economic growth, sustainable development and create jobs.
2. Heads of Governments have stated substantial progress in development of cooperation in the framework of the Organization in economic, humanitarian and other dimensions in the period after the Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Governments (15 December 2015, Astana).
In accordance with the outcomes of the Ufa summit of the SCO Heads of Governments have underscored the need for practical implementation of the SCO Development Strategy 2025, the Program for Multilateral Cooperation in Trade and Economy of the SCO Member States and the Action Plan for its implementation, the List of Events for Further Development of Project Activities in the Framework of the SCO for 2012-2016, as well as the possibility for further expansion of cooperation in the spheres of trade, economy, finance, investment, transportation, telecommunication, customs, agriculture and energy, improvement of beneficial conditions for trade and investment, promoting economic growth based on innovations, modernization of industrial sector via joint creation of high-tech enterprises that would support the establishment of stable socio-economic development of the SCO member states and improve the well-being of the peoples of the member states.
3. Heads of Governments confirming the support for the initiative of People’s Republic of China on Silk Road Economic Belt have issued a Statement on regional economic cooperation. They are convinced that joint work of the SCO member states in close cooperation with observers and dialogue partners, which includes activities in the framework of implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, will promote gradual sustainable economic growth in the interest of keeping and supporting peace and stability in the region.
4. Heads of Governments support mutually beneficial regional and international cooperation in the interests of all the SCO member states in the sphere of developing industrial potential and use of production capacities, pointing out their importance from the viewpoint of optimal allocation of financial assets, technologies and resources, achieving balance between supply and demand, tapping the potential of the market, solving tasks of industrial development, as well as modernizing and transforming of industry.
5. Heads of Governments have approved the outcome of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the SCO Member States on external economy and trade activities that took place on 16 September 2015 in Xian, including the arrangement to create a specialized work group on trade facilitation.
Heads of Governments deem necessary to continue the work on creating beneficial conditions for trade and investment, paying special attention to joint projects and cooperation events in the SCO framework.
Relevant ministries and agencies of the SCO member states, as well as the SCO Secretariat, the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium have been tasked with continuing the work on the draft List of Events on further development of project activities within the SCO framework for 2017-2021 for it to be adopted at the next Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States.
6. Heads of Governments highly appreciate practical events within the SCO framework aimed at expansion of regional economic interaction, including the business conference and the Meeting of the Board of the SCO Business Council in the framework of St. Petersburg Economic Forum on 18-19 June 2015, Meeting of the Council of the Interbank Consortium on 9 July 2015 in Ufa and the exhibition of goods from the SCO countries on 24-26 September in Xian.
7. To create beneficial opportunities for development of trade and investment cooperation Heads of Governments have supported expansion of cooperation in the sphere of macroeconomic and financial policy of the member states. They believe that it is important to fully tap the potential of interbank cooperation, utilize existing and emerging financial mechanisms in the SCO space.
Heads of Governments, noting the importance of continuing the work on creating the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Foundation (Specialized account) to stimulate trade and investment ties in the region, have tasked heads of relevant ministries and agencies of the SCO member states with considering the aforementioned issue at the third Meeting of Ministers of Finance and Presidents of Central (National) Banks of the SCO member states in 2016 in Kyrgyz Republic.
8. Heads of Governments have underscored the necessity of expedient enactment of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Creating Beneficial Conditions for International Road Transportation (12 September 2014, Dushanbe). Implementation of this Agreement will promote development of multimodal transportation, forming of a beneficial network of transportation infrastructure and maximization of the transit potential of the SCO member states.
Heads of Governments have noted the necessity to implement the arrangements reached in the framework of the seventh Meeting of Ministers of Transportation of the SCO member states on 15 May 2015 in Ufa.
9. Heads of Governments point out the importance of interaction of relevant agencies, structures and companies of the SCO member states in the sphere of information and communication technologies, in particular in the field of exchange of experience on introduction and use of governance automatization technologies (e-government).
10. Heads of Governments highly appreciate the progress of implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Aid in Customs Affairs (2 November 2007, Tashkent), as well as other documents on cooperation in the sphere of customs. They have also noted that signing of the Program of interaction for customs agencies of the SCO member states for 2016-2021 will provide a new impulse for the development of cooperation on customs.
11. Heads of Governments have underlined the necessity for more active interaction in the field of agriculture via implementation of bilateral and multilateral projects in the fields of animal husbandry, plant cultivation, production and processing of agricultural goods, land reclamation, agricultural irrigation, development and introduction of innovative agricultural technologies, training of personnel, interaction on veterinary issues and plant quarantine, as well as participation in workshops, forums and exhibitions conducted in the SCO member states.
12. Heads of Governments note the importance of continuing mutually beneficial multidimensional cooperation in the sphere of energy, which includes the field of renewable and alternative energy sources.
Heads of Governments advocate stronger cooperation on environment protection, exchange of experience on building energy-efficient economy, promoting transition to low carbon footprint development among other goals to further reduce or limit emissions in the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases, as well as reduce proportion of energy consumption.
13. Heads of Governments welcome the input of the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium in promotion of cooperation and trade and economic ties in the framework of the Organization, advocated strengthening the activities of these structures on more active contacts between business and financial circles, as well as development of real economy.
Heads of Governments gave positive assessment to the activities of the Business Council on forming specialized platforms for cooperation and interaction between business structures of member states, observer states and dialogue partners of the Organization and believe that further work in this direction is required.
Heads of Governments have noted the success of the Interbank Consortium in establishing relations with financial institutions of observer states and dialogue partners of the SCO achieved in ten years of its existence.
14. Heads of Governments gave positive assessment to the results of cooperation of the SCO member states in cultural and humanitarian sphere, supported further development of multilateral and bilateral ties in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, healthcare, social protection of people, environment protection, tourism, emergency relief, justice, and media that promote better mutual understanding of the peoples, mutual enrichment and rapprochement of cultures, popularization of traditions and customs of peoples living in the territory of the SCO.
15. Heads of Governments gave positive assessment to the outcomes of the Meeting of Ministers of Culture of the SCO Member States (20 April 2015, Moscow). They noted that practical implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Culture (16 August 2007, Bishkek) is a great importance.
16. Heads of Governments noted the necessity of practical implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, expedient start of the SCO Program for Scientific and Technological Partnership and strengthening of practical cooperation between member states in science and technology.
17. The Heads of Governments gave positive assessment to the second Meeting of Ministers of Public Health of the SCO member states (7 July 2015, Moscow) and fourth Meeting of Heads of Sanitary and Epidemiological Agencies of the SCO member states (17 April 2015, Moscow), supported quality implementation of arrangements stipulated in their final documents, as well as in the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation for Public Health (15 June 2015, Astana) and Program for Informing on Epidemiological Situation Caused by Infectious Diseases in the Territory of the SCO Member States (29 November 2015, Tashkent).
18. Heads of Governments gave high evaluation to the outcomes of the first Meeting of Heads of National Tourism Agencies of the SCO Member States (25 March 2015, Moscow) and supported the initiative of the Russian side for development and approval of a Program for Development of Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the SCO Member States.
Heads of Governments advocate development and expansion of equal and mutually beneficial bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of tourism taking into account existing cultural, historical and economic ties; creation of beneficial conditions for peoples’ communication; strengthening exchange of experience in the sphere of tourism; more active contacts between authorized agencies and relevant organizations.
Heads of Government deem important to active participation of the SCO member states in the first World Conference on development of tourism (May 2016, People’s Republic of China).
19. Heads of Governments gave high evaluation to the progress of implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Interaction and Providing Aid for Emergency Relief (26 October 2005, Moscow) and the results of the eighth Meeting of Heads of Emergency Prevention and Relief Agencies of the SCO Member States (11-12 November 2015, Chengdu). They also advocated quality implementation of the Action Plan for implementation of the SCO Intergovernmental Agreement on Interaction in Providing Aid for Emergency Relief for 2016-2017, further development of more practical and efficient cooperation in the field of emergency prevention and relief to minimize damages from emergencies.
20. Heads of Governments have noted that implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation between Ministries of Justice of the SCO member states, signed at the third Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the SCO Member States (18 August 2015, Dushanbe) promotes further strengthening of cooperation in legal field. They have also supported expedient creation of a joint electronic legal database of the SCO member states for businessmen and investors, advocated continued cooperation in the field of forensic expert activities via carrying out joint studies, exchanges of methods and experience.
21. Heads of Governments have noted that involving observer states and dialogue partners in practical cooperation of the SCO has positive and relevant meaning for expansion of cooperation in the space of the Organization.
Heads of Governments have noted the necessity to continue involving observer states and dialogue partners, as well as partner international organizations in practical activities in economic, humanitarian and other fields, including the framework of the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium.
22. Heads of Governments have approved the report of the SCO Secretariat on the progress of implementation of the Program of Multilateral Cooperation in Trade and Economy of the SCO Member States.
The budget of the Organization for 2016 was adopted. Decisions pertaining to financial and organizational activities of the SCO permanent structures were also made.
Heads of Governments the high level of organization of the Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States and expressed their gratitude to the Chinese side for warm welcome.
The next Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States will take place in 2016 in Kyrgyz Republic.
