SCO – important forum to find solutions for regional security challenges

JING. December 28. KAZINFORM /Ruslan Suleimenov/ The model of mutual relations within the SCO is of special interest for studying because initially created as the Organization on trust measures between states which had a common boarder, it gradually transformed into a multiprofile and multifunctional Organization whereas political, economic and humanitarian aspects of mutual cooperation are of similar priority. Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization B. Nurgaliyev shared his view in an interview to Kazinform.
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This year you are completing your mission as the Secretary General of Shanghai Organization. Could you tell about main results of your activity in the line of your duty?

 On December, 18, 2009 I expressed gratitude to all states which have unanimously supported the Resolution "Cooperation between the United Nations Organization and Shanghai Cooperation Organization" at the plenary session of the 64th sitting of the UN General Assembly.

It was the culmination moment. The possibility to deliver speech from the UN tribune in the presence of delegations of over two hundred countries imposed a special responsibility. I am glad that our collective efforts (the given resolution was introduced on behalf of all six SCO states as Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) were supported by the rest countries.

Among the important stages in three-year tenure of assignment as SCO Secretary General I would like to point out the sessions of the Board of SCO Heads of States held in Bishkek, 2007, in Dushanbe, 2008 and in Yekaterinburg, 2009.

As the important and stage event I would like to name signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation during the session of the Board of SCO Heads of States in Bishkek in 2007. This is a fundamental document along with the SCO Charter covering key spheres of our mutual cooperation. I would like to note that 450 documents have been signed within the SCO during eight years of existence the Organization. I will pay attention to the importance of the Declaration on Youth's Role in Preservation and Augmentation of Cultural Traditions and Values of SCO member-states approved at the meeting of SCO ministers of culture in Kazan, (May, 2009).

What areas of cooperation between the SCO member-states were the top-priority ones in your point view?

 I think that the attention to economic and political interaction was the priority-oriented to both of them. Nevertheless, I will tell that initially SCO was created to provide collective reaction to calls and threats in the sphere of regional security in the liability space of the Organization. The SCO space of responsibility is a set of territory of our six states and the adjoining countries the part of which are the SCO observers: India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan. Besides SCO has serious interests in Afghanistan as far as the majority of threats for the safety of our states results because of the instability in this distressful, to our great regret, country. Therefore, the struggle against terrorism, separatism and extremism is of permanent priority as far as significant efforts are concentrated in this sphere. I would like to point out a successful work of the regional anti-terrorist structure (RATS) which was specially created for the struggle against terrorism, separatism and extremism. Significant practical results were reached during the work of RATS. The rather effective interaction in the sphere of safety under the aegis of RATS during the preparation and carrying out of Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 can be served as an example.

A positive experience which has been saved up during the Beijing Olympic Games will be implemented during the next large international events on the territory of SCO member-states. In particular, it is referred to the World Exhibition in Shanghai "EXPO 2010", Winter Asian Games 2011 in Kazakhstan, APEC summit in Vladivostok in 2012, the World Summer Student Games in Kazan in 2013 and other important events.

The cooperation in energy is one of the important areas of SCO activity. Tell us, please, about nowadays situation and prospects in energy cooperation of SCO member-states.

 The power at all its importance is one of the aspects of cooperation of the Organization. There are three categories of countries from the point of view of energy sources - exporting countries, importing countries and transit countries. Besides, as you know, the SCO countries have a great potential for the development of alternative energy sources as atomic engineering and water-power engineering. Concerning the development of water-power engineering a number of SCO member-states possess a unique potential for building of hydraulic engineering constructions and their joint exploitation. Thereupon here it is necessary to develop such approaches in questions of regulation of a drain which would consider the interests of those countries which are in upper courses of the rivers where hydroelectric power stations are built including those countries located downstream.

As is known, you change your working place. Could you tell about your future plans?

It is supposed that I will work as a special representative of acting OSCE chairman and take up the problems of long conflicts on the territory of the Organization. The experience in an international organization which is the SCO will be useful.

Kazakhstan as the operating OSCE chairman in 2010 will adhere to the principles of maximum objectivity, impartiality and understanding that real progress depends, first of all, on the parties involved in a conflict situation. Under long conflicts the difficult situation, prospect of universal and definitive settlement can be far enough.

 

Thank you for the interview!

 

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