BEIJING, December 21. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will coordinate multilateral efforts to counter any foreign meddling attempts in the internal political affairs of its member states, SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov said on Tuesday.
"The main principles of our organization’s activity are non-interference in domestic affairs and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our states. The SCO is a new-type regional organization that seeks equality and takes the interests of each state into account," the chief of the Moscow-Beijing-led bloc stressed at a press conference, replying to a question from TASS on the prospects of multilateral interaction for settling corresponding issues based on the consensus of the Russian and Chinese leaders.
The SCO unites those countries "that differ in their military and economic potential," the secretary general noted. "We draw attention of the international community to the fact that it is necessary to strictly observe the supremacy of international law, the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and contribute to strengthening the UN’s role," Norov added.
"The SCO ensures the equality of states and makes decisions based on consensus. And no state imposes its will or interests upon the others," the organization’s chief stressed.
The statements recently made by the Russian and Chinese leaders on this issue, "are another reminder for all those who intend to interfere in the internal affairs of states, in particular, the SCO countries," he specified.
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian earlier told TASS that the Chinese authorities viewed the SCO as "a heavyweight, constructive force for resolving global issues" and would contribute to bolstering interaction between the organization’s members. As the spokesman pointed out, this organization that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year "is a completely new format of tolerant cooperation that stimulates stronger international solidarity."
As China’s leader Xi Jinping emphasized during a video-linkup talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, the governments of Russia and China should render support to the SCO member states and prevent interference in their domestic affairs. As Xi Jinping pointed out, Beijing and Moscow have maintained a high level of strategic partnership between the association’s members and assisted in strengthening mutual trust between them from the very outset.