MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. The coronavirus pandemic did not affect cooperation between the member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the upward trend in the development of partnership between them persists, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov said on Wednesday in an interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman.
He recalled that the foreign ministers of the SCO member-countries would consider the current state and prospects for the organization’s activities at a meeting on September 9-10, taking into account the global political and socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, and preparations for a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.
"The multidisciplinary and rich nature of the documents submitted for approval by the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers indicates that, despite the epidemiological risks, cooperation within the organization did not slow down. Moreover, it maintained an upward development trajectory in the run-up to the upcoming summit of heads of state," Norov said.
The secretary-general added that, thanks to Russia’s coordinating role, a significant package of documents had been prepared, which "will undoubtedly contribute to the further development of our organization and increase its role and influence not only in Eurasia, but also in the world as a whole."
According to Norov, more than 20 documents are expected to be approved at the upcoming meeting of the heads of state, more than half of them were proposed by Russia.
"In difficult conditions of the pandemic, the SCO, relying on the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and commitment to joint development, has convincingly confirmed its substantial potential as a platform for responding to emerging contemporary challenges and threats as well for the development and implementation of joint measures to overcome the adverse effects of the pandemic," he concluded.