MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Boosting the reputation and clout of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a key goal for all member states, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with SCO heads of governments in the Kremlin.
"We all have one common goal: to boost the credibility and clout of the SCO as one of the biggest regional organizations on the Eurasian continent and in the whole world. Naturally, national governments play a special role in arranging concrete practical work to broaden the multi-facetted interaction among the organization’s member states," Putin said.
The Russian leader emphasized that national governments need to take the initiative here.
"Governments - in other words, the entities under your command - are the ones responsible for practical work," he said.
Putin said that the earlier meeting of the SCO heads of governments earlier today was successful.
"[You] have outlined plans for future joint actions, including in the light of the Tianjin Declaration and the SCO Development Strategy for 2026-2035, adopted during the SCO summit in China in September," he said.
According to the Russian president, about 30 fruitful ministerial sessions and expert meetings were held in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian cities during Russia’s presidency in the SCO Council of Heads of Government. They resulted in numerous mutually beneficial projects and cooperation programs, Putin added.
"Governments traditionally focus on matters of economic cooperation, development, diversification of trade and investment as their priorities. And concerted actions in that regard produce real results," he said.