BEIJING, April 16. /TASS/. Member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are working on a gradual transition to mutual settlements in national currencies as part of their financial cooperation development, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov told TASS in an interview.

"The countries have a common understanding that the consideration of a gradual transition to mutual settlements in national currencies can be an optimal vector for further developing financial cooperation within the SCO framework," the official said. "This work has already begun. Representatives of the SCO Interbank Consortium are engaged in it. A new document has been outlined and mutually acceptable approaches for its implementation in the near term and the long term are being determined," Norov noted.

This mechanism "can become not only an efficient tool to jointly overcome the pandemic’s consequences, but it will also make it possible to optimize the financial resources of SCO member-states, strengthen internal financial cooperation among member-countries of the organization and fortify investment activity," he said. "This can be the basis aimed at securing transparent, predictable and stable conditions for the development of economic ties, growth in mutual trade and investment cooperation broadening the interests of the peoples of SCO countries," the secretary-general explained.

"There is also a need to establish partner ties with international financial institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the BRICS New Development Bank and the Silk Road Fund in order to fully unlock the organization’s investment potential, so that their capabilities are used to carry out joint cross-border projects within the SCO," he added.