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The SCO summit is over

The summiteers adopted a package of documents

MOSCOW, June 8 (Itar-Tass World Service)

A summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ended in Beijing. The summiteers adopted a package of documents, coming out against the military interference in Syria and Iran and denouncing the deployment of the missile defence systems of the United States and NATO in Europe and stating that they are ready to raise the SCO role in the Afghan settlement in view of an upcoming withdrawal of the NATO forces from the country. So, the summit confirmed the SCO reputation as the main US opponent and their allies on the vital problems of international security.

Ten documents were signed at the SCO summit, the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily reported. From these documents Vladimir Putin noted the resolution on political and diplomatic measures and mechanisms of the SCO response to the situations, which threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the program for cooperation in the struggle against terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2013-2015. The cooperation program and a new variant of the resolution are intended to ensure regional security and stability, the Russian president explained. He did not like that the SCO observers did not involve in the activities of the regional anti-terrorist structure. It should be intensified, the Russian president put it clearly.

The summiteers signed ten documents and made reshuffles in the leadership of the organization, the Kommersant daily reported. Dmitry Mezentsev, who headed the SCO business council, was elected as new SCO secretary general. Russian President Vladimir Putin nominated the candidacy of Mezentsev. Meanwhile, Chinese representative Zhang Sinfen was elected as the head of the executive committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.

The final declaration, which contains several concealed challenges against the West, became the manifest of the summit. Speaking on the plans of the United States and NATO to create a missile defence system in Europe, the SCO states warned that unilateral and unrestricted build-up of the missile defence systems by one country or a group of countries can be detrimental to international security and strategic stability.

Another priority in the debates between the SCO states and the West became the situation in the Middle East, primarily in Syria, the Kommersant daily noted. The SCO warned against the military interference in the affairs in the region, the forced acceleration of the change of power and unilateral sanctions. As for the Syrian crisis, the SCO states urged to respect a broad national dialogue, which is based on independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.

The SCO summit helps Moscow and Beijing to show to the West that these countries are not alone in their negative attitude to a forcible scenario in Syria, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reported. In the final declaration the summiteers rejected military interference, forced acceleration of the change of power and unilateral sanctions.

The SCO granted the status of observer to Afghanistan. But the final declaration states in general words about the need to ensure peace and security in that country. The Sextet is not ready to assume any concrete commitments.

Vladimir Putin offered to consider the accession of new members in a year, the newspaper noted. This means that Pakistan’s and India’s bids for membership were shelved. Speaking at the SCO summit Putin noted that it is necessary to prepare the decision on the terms for the admission of new members by a next summit, which will be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2013. The Foreign Ministries of six countries, namely Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will work on the decision. This statement puts an end finally to the plans of the Pakistani leadership that the country along with India may become a full-fledged SCO member soon.

With the reference to the Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune the Kommersant daily reported that the country is looking at the East in the direction of China and Russia. The newspaper hopes that the SCO will help Pakistan to get rid of the dependence from the United States. This is why it was important for Islamabad to raise its status in the organization turning from an observer in a full-fledged member. According to Pakistani observers, Moscow and Beijing have some disagreements in this issue. While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was lobbying the accession of India and Pakistan, China did not support this idea.