MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said it was important to establish direct contacts between the regions of the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization] countries. He was speaking at a meeting of the Council of heads of Russia’s territorial entities at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"Today’s meeting will focus on the issues relating to the development of inter-regional cooperation within the SCO," the minister said. Lavrov recalled that the SCO summit had been held in Ufa on July 10 whose results were perceived by Russia as tangible. He added that its results testified to the organization’s increased importance, standing and the capacity for dynamic renewal."
Lavrov also noted that the summit had adopted the strategy of the SCO development until 2025, which outlined, at the initiative of Russia, the issue of promoting the near-border regional ties between the organization’s member-countries. The minister recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had pointed to the importance of establishing direct inter-regional ties to boost cooperation within the SCO.
"The partners in the organization share our view on the importance of promoting direct contacts between the SCO regions," Lavrov said, adding that an ad hoc agency was about to be set up.
The Russian foreign minister described as an important and milestone the decision of the Ufa summit on the beginning of India and Pakistan’s accession to the SCO. "Cooperation with the regions of these major Asian powers is also very useful," he said. "We will step up direct contacts with them.".