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SCO development strategy up to 2025 to be aimed at raising organization's effectiveness

It remains the priority of the SCO to ensure regional security, to fight terrorism, extremism and drugs trafficking, Russian President Vladimir Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev

Russian President Vladimir Putin

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev

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MOSCOW, September 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has stated that a Strategy for the Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for a period until 2025 will be aimed at rasing the effectiveness of the organization.

"The dynamically developing situation in the world requires a further rise in the effectiveness of the SCO. This will be precisely the goal of the organization's development strategy, the elaboration of which is to be completed within the term of Russia's presidency (in the organization)," he stated in his address placed on the official website of Russia's presidency in the SCO.

The Russian president added that it remains the priority of the SCO to ensure regional security, to fight terrorism, extremism, and trafficking in narcotics, with due regard, first of all, for the uneasy situation in Afghanistan.

"Russia comes out in favor of stepping up economic cooperation within the SCO framework, working out joint measures to ensure financial, food, energy, and transport security. We suggest establishing an optimum mechanism for financial support of designing activities, stepping up the work of the Business Council and the Inter-Bank Association of the SCO and giving greater scope to interregional contacts," Putin emphasized.

He pointed out that Russia visualizes ample opportunities in establishing cooperation between the SCO and the Eurasian Economic Union. Putin also considers it important to develop contacts in the fields of education, healthcare, culture, and tourism, including those with the use of the resources of the SCO Youth Council and Forum.

"The plans of Russia's presidency include more than 100 various arrangements, with a joint celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War holding a special place among them," Putin stressed.

According to him, a session of the SCO Council of the heads of state would be the concluding event of Russia's presidency in the organization. The session is due to be held in Bashkortostan's city of Ufa on July 9-10, 2015.

"The international prestige of the organization has been growing. Alongside (SCO) member-countries, a tangible contribution to its activities is made by Observer Countries Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongollia, and Pakistan, as well as by Dialogue Partner states such as Belarus, Turkey, and Sri Lanka," Putin pointed out.

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