ZHENGZHOU, December 14. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is becoming stronger and more recognized in the world, Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev said in an interview with TASS on Monday.

"The potential of cooperation is acknowledged, and this is proved as the SCO is a multi-faceted international association and in fact confirms its unique character and has great prospects for the further development," Mezentsev said ahead of the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.

More countries are showing interest in becoming the SCO member states, Mezentsev said, stressing: "This is a signal that the organization has done a lot during just 14 years of its existence."

Now preparations are underway for the summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, marking the 15th anniversary of the organization. This proves that the SCO "is increasing the quality of cooperation," he said.

While seeking a consensus, the organization "takes greater responsibility for fulfilling its own national plans of development and seeing joint SCO strategies approved by the heads of government for the next 10 years."

"This document is not just an action plan but the philosophy of development, this is a plan for the new positioning of the SCO in the region, for the more significant and important role in the issues of the international agenda," Mezentsev said.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent regional association founded in Shanghai, China, on June 15, 2001. Its priority tasks include joint counteraction to terrorism and extremism; cooperation in education as well as in the energy, oil and gas, transport, communication and other spheres. At present, the SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan are expected to join the bloc next year.