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Russian PM highlights growing role of SCO in Eurasia

According to Mikhail Mishustin, the upcoming full membership of Iran and Belarus in the organization, as well as a growing number of dialogue partners, including major countries of the Middle East, will also contribute to this

MOSCOW, November 1./TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) clout keeps growing in Eurasia, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told a meeting of the organization’s Heads of Government Council on Tuesday.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization keeps strengthening as one of the most influential associations on Eurasian soil, which was convincingly demonstrated at the September summit," the prime minister stressed.

According to Mishustin, the upcoming full membership of Iran and Belarus in the organization, as well as a growing number of dialogue partners, including major countries of the Middle East, will also contribute to this.

"Our states have everything they need to confidently progress ahead - a well-developed contractual and legal framework, an effective system of sectoral cooperation, and something that’s crucial - substantial experience in cooperation that has accumulated over the decades. Using it, we can achieve the dynamic development of our economies and improve the quality of our life for our citizens," the head of the cabinet went on to say.

Mishustin reiterated President Vladimir Putin's statement that Eurasia is a self-sufficient part of the world with enormous resources and vast opportunities. "And the more diligently we work to bolster the connectivity of Eurasia, to create new ways and forms of interaction, the more impressive progress we make," the prime minister noted.

Growing contacts between people, especially youth exchanges, and active cooperation along the lines of health, science, education, culture, and tourism is the SCO’s most reliable pillar, Mishustin stressed.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by six states: Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan. Later, in 2017, Pakistan and India joined the club. Four other countries - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia - hold observer status, while several other nations - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka - are dialogue partners.