SCO became effective platform of multifaceted cooperation, Nazarbayev
According to the President, the organization's legal framework has been formed and is constantly being upgraded. It has solid institutional basis. Today's SCO is an active mechanism for cooperation in such spheres as security, economy and cultural-humanitarian ties.
As for further SCO evolution, the President noted that the organization's potential has not been fully realized, though the organization has laid the groundwork. He pointed out some promising directions.
Firstly, it is for sure, trade and economic cooperation. In this regard, the President stressed the undoubted significance of sooner opening of the SCO Development Bank and Development Fund.
Kazakhstan positively regards prospects for regional trade and economic cooperation with an eye on adapting projects of SCO and EAEU member states and China's One Road and One Belt program. Close cooperation may provide favorable conditions for building in future a free trade area of SCO. Our countries may go forward stepwise starting with studying projects of interest.
Secondly, there are real opportunities for efficient promotion of transit and transport cooperation. An intergovernmental agreement on creating favorable conditions of international road haulage was signed in Dushanbe. The first step was made, last January it came into effect.
Thirdly, we should pay attention to the need to provide SCO member states with high-quality and ecologically clean foodstuff. In this context, food security cooperation program proposed by Kazakhstan is of great current interest. Its adoption became a key step in providing food availability, development of the agrarian sector and boosting agricultural trade in SCO member countries.
Kazakhstan expects that other pressing issues of SCO cooperation will also be considered in detail at the Qingdao SCO Summit ahead.