Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The ninth summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
is held in Russia's Ural city of Yekaterinburg. The following is a brief
history of the organization.
June 14-15, 2001 - Presidents of the member states of the "Shanghai
Five" - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - met for
their sixth summit in Shanghai and announced Uzbekistan's accession to
the organization.
The six heads of state held the first SCO summit on June 15, 2001 in
Shanghai and signed the Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, officially inaugurating the SCO.
June 7, 2002 - The second SCO summit opened in Russia's second
largest city of St. Petersburg. The leaders of the six countries signed
the Charter of the SCO to define the organization's development goals
and institutionalize cooperation among member states.
May 29, 2003 - The leaders of the six SCO member states held their
third summit in Moscow to discuss ways of meeting challenges and
strengthening cooperation.
The summit also approved the appointment of Chinese Ambassador to
Russia Zhang Deguang as the SCO's first secretary-general.
June 17, 2004 - The fourth summit meeting of the SCO took place in
the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
During the summit, the presidents of the six SCO member states -
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -
formally launched the Regional Anti-terrorist Structure of the SCO, and
pledged in a joint declaration to cooperate in fighting terrorism and
coping with new security threats and in strengthening their economic and
trade ties.
During the summit, Mongolia was granted SCO observer status.
July 5, 2005 - The leaders of the SCO held their fifth summit in
Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, to discuss measures to strengthen unity
and further cooperation in economy, security and people-related affairs.
The leaders agreed to grant SCO observer status to India, Iran and
Pakistan. At the end of the summit, the heads of state issued a
declaration on strengthening cooperation within the organization.
June 15, 2006 - The sixth SCO summit opened in Shanghai. During the
summit, the six heads of state proposed a long-term plan for development
of the SCO. They also issued a joint declaration on the fifth
anniversary of the SCO, charting the course and identifying major tasks
for the next-stage of development of the organization.
Aug. 16, 2007 - The seventh SCO summit was held in Kyrgyzstan's
capital of Bishkek. During the summit, heads of state of the six SCO
members signed the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship
and Cooperation, which they agreed that would give an impetus to
deepening cooperation within the organization in all areas. |