DUSHANBE, July 31. /ITAR-TASS/. Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said on Thursday that the Syrian crisis should be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic means.

“The heads of delegations are expressing their common opinion that complex changes taking place in Middle Eastern and North African countries should not lead to a delay in resolving chronic conflicts, the settlement of which would have a general positive effect on the situation in the region,” the SCO foreign ministers said in their statement.

“The heads of delegations also urge for resolving the Syrian crisis exclusively by political and diplomatic means, by continuing direct inter-Syrian dialog based on the Geneva communiqu· of July 30, 2012 and the corresponding provisions of UN Security Council Resolution #2118,” the statement said.