SCO ministers discuss economy and trade issues in China

BEIJING- XI'AN. KAZINFORM On September 14 Chinese Xi'an in Shaanxi Province hosted the 14th Conference of the SCO Economic and Trade Ministers.

The participants discussed a variety of issues regarding further development and deepening of regional economic cooperation within the SCO, the course of implementation of the SCO Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme for 2012-2016 as well as the reports on the activity of the SCO Business Council and SCO Interbank Association for 2012-2015. The ministers agreed on providing favorable conditions for trade and investments giving priority attention to joint projects and cooperation events within the SCO. The participants backed also China's initiative on establishment of the Silk Road Economic Belt and expressed readiness to arrange consultations and information exchange among the SCO economic and trade ministries. The parties positively assessed the interaction among business and financial communities within the international economic forums and exhibitions held in the SCO member states. The meeting participants welcomed the Expo of SCO Products scheduled for September 24-26, 2015 in Xi'an with the participation of the observer states and dialogue partners. The conference ended with signing a protocol. Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the SCO Secretariat Erik Ashimov, Minister of Commerce of China Gao Hucheng, Deputy Minister of Economy of Kyrgyzstan Daniyar Imanaliyev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Alexander Tsybulsky, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan Shavkat Tulyaganov, Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Aziz Nosirov, Executive Secretary of the SCO Business Council Sergey Kanavsky, Representative of the SCO Interbank Association Sergey Sushko as well as representatives of the SCO observer states' foreign economy and trade ministries (Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan) and SCO dialogues partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal) and other guests gathered in Xi'an for the conference.