Sadyr Zhaparov: Over 20 years, SCO achieved concrete results and significant successes

Bishkek, Sept. 17, 2021. / Kabar /. "Over the 20 years of its activity, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has achieved concrete results and significant successes," President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov said today speaking at the SCO Summit in Dushanbe (Tajikistan). The press service of the head of state reported that Sadyr Zhaparov noted that the SCO's activities arouse wide interest in the international arena, as evidenced by the desire of other states to join it. Thus, at the SCO Summit, the procedure for accepting the Islamic Republic of Iran as a new member was launched, as well as granting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar the status of a partner in dialogue with the SCO. The president stressed that a lot of work is being done by joint efforts to maintain security and stability in the SCO space and called for special attention to the formation of a security belt in the region. Sadyr Zhaparov noted that taking into account the recent events in Afghanistan, the issues of countering threats and challenges from the international forces of extremism and terrorism are becoming especially important. The president proposed to develop a strategy of interaction in order to prevent encroachments on the SCO countries and control migration processes. At the same time, he stressed that Kyrgyzstan stands for the earliest possible prevention of a military conflict and the establishment of peace, tranquility and stability in Afghanistan, both in the interests of the long-suffering Afghan people, as well as the countries of the region and the international community. The head of state expressed his readiness to send humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan. Further, Sadyr Zhaparov drew the attention of the participants to the fact that in recent years in the SCO space against the background of the global trend of digitalization, the development of information and communication technologies, the risks and threats of cyber terrorism are increasing. In order to promote cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, the president proposed to establish a special mechanism in the form of a meeting of the heads of relevant ministries and departments of the SCO member states. He also welcomed the timely decision of the heads of the SCO member states to improve the mechanism for countering the challenges and threats to the security of the SCO member states, taking into account the initiative of the Kyrgyz side to establish a Center for Countering International Organized Crime in Bishkek. In addition, Sadyr Zhaparov noted the importance of deepening economic cooperation through the introduction of effective financial mechanisms, proposing to continue consultations on the establishment of the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Fund. At the same time, he expressed his conviction that the joint development of the transport infrastructure will make it possible to intensify trade relations and solve many pressing socio-economic problems. “In the context of the pandemic, as well as due to the inevitable quarantine measures, road transportation turned out to be limited, so the most reliable transport route is the railroad. Kyrgyzstan is aimed at the earliest practical implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project, which should become a significant and concrete step towards the full disclosure of the region's transit potential and the possibility of access to seaports,” the head of state said. Also in his speech, Sadyr Zhaparov touched upon the issues of food security and cooperation of the SCO in the field of education, noted the importance of further strengthening cultural and humanitarian interaction, including issues of tourism, youth and sports.