In July 2015 the Republic of Uzbekistan took the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Assumption of the SCO chairman mission coincided with the 15th anniversary of the SCO, which gives special importance and high responsibility to our country in enhancing the authority of the entity and improving its performance.

Uzbekistan considers the organization a union of equal states, the mechanism of multilateral cooperation aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region, a constructive partnership dealing with threats to regional and international security and promoting sustainable economic and social development.

According to the statements of foreign experts and observers, Uzbekistan is making a significant contribution to implementation of the SCO priorities. Tashkent initiatives are primarily aimed at achieving the statutory goals and objectives of the organization, the development of fruitful cooperation with the Member States, observer countries and dialogue partners.

Our republic, as one of the founders of the SCO, during the chairmanship, intends to consistently promote mutually beneficial cooperation, meeting the interests of all members of the organization. In particular, Uzbekistan supports further strengthening of the role of the SCO as an effective institution countering such threats to global and regional security as terrorism, religious extremism, separatism, illegal drug and weapons trafficking, transnational organized crime.

On the way to strengthening practical cooperation in the fight against these challenges and threats to security, our country lays particular stress on further improvement of activity of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), established in 2004 in Tashkent aimed at coordinating the joint work of the Member States in this area.

Uzbekistan also supports the preservation of the chosen course of the SCO, according to which its activities are not directed against the interests of other countries, which is provided in the Charter and other founding documents of the organization. This issue was discussed at the Ufa summit in 2015 where the President of our country Islam Karimov, stressed the importance of elimination of “bloc thinking” and prevent transformation of the SCO into a military-political alliance. President of Uzbekistan also specifically noted the importance of further boosting the commitment to the principles and objectives of the organization.

Member States of the association have enough economic potential, necessary experience, resources, and what is more political will for the practical implementation of cross-border infrastructure, high-tech and social programs, the implementation of which will give a powerful impetus to the development of all countries in the region.

In this regard, Uzbekistan emphasizes the economic component of the SCO activities in favor of the intensification of contacts for the development and implementation of mutually beneficial joint projects, forming the relevant financial instruments for these purposes, including the Development Bank of the SCO. The establishment of multilateral funding mechanisms for top-priority socio-economic and infrastructural programs within the organization will allow to solve global tasks more efficiently.

In the context of the ongoing global financial and economic crisis and the slow pace of the global market recovery the strengthening of mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, building contacts within the special mechanisms of the SCO, and the use of their potential to enhance economic cooperation are the most important tasks of our country during the chairmanship. In particular, within the framework of the objectives the meeting of the Business Council and a number of activities of the SCO Interbank Association are to be held in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan is a proponent of the implementation of investment programs on establishing and modernizing of road and rail infrastructure, air traffic systems, both of domestic and cross-border significance, in the space of the SCO. The major strategic directions here are the development and implementation of such routes that would link Central Asia and China with the European and world markets, thereby creating favorable conditions for the further development of social and industrial infrastructure of the SCO countries, providing large-scale inflow of foreign investments into the region.

Moreover, the construction of roads, railways and interrelated logistics centers can be a powerful boost to creating new jobs and enhancing local employment. The solution to all these issues can enhance sustainability of socio-economic development of the region.

It’s worth mentioning that Uzbekistan considers the activation of the use of the resources and markets of the SCO observer countries a very important step, which may contribute to the strengthening of mutually beneficial trade and business cooperation.

Taking into account all the facts stated above, we can say with full confidence that the upcoming 15th anniversary SCO summit in Tashkent will open a new page in the history of the Organization.

Source: Information Agency "Jahon"