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China urges strong barriers to protect Shanghai Cooperation Organization from terrorists

ZHENGZHOU, December 15. /TASS/. Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang has said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should provide a reliable barrier to security threats to member countries, including those coming from terrorists.

"We support settling international conflicts by peaceful means, with observation of principles of mutual respect and non-interference into internal affairs of other countries," Keqiang said at the session of SCO heads of state in the extended format. "We support establishing international relations of the new type in the spirit of cooperation and mutual benefit against the backdrop of growing activities of international terrorist organizations," he added.

"With the help of SCO, we should build strong impenetrable barriers of cooperation on security, leaving no loopholes for violators of regional stability and representing a reliable guarantee to SCO member countries in ensuring political security and social stability," the state council premier stressed.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent regional international association, the establishment of which was announced on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. The organization brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

During the SCO summit in Ufa on July 9 and July 10 the start of the admission procedure for India and Pakistan was announced. The leaders of the SCO member-countries also decided to grant Belarus observer status, while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal became dialogue partners.

SCO priority spheres include joint fight against terrorism and extremism, cooperation in the spheres of education, energy, transport, and telecommunications. The total population of SCO countries is almost 1.6 billion people, and the total GDP of the member countries is $11.6 trillion.