China and Russia on Monday pledged efforts to promote
multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The SCO is becoming an influential force in the region and on
the international arena, and promoting multilateral cooperation
with the framework of the SCO is a foreign policy priority of both
China and Russia, a China-Russia joint statement said.
As the SCO enters a new stage of development, close political
dialogues on urgent international issues are of great significance,
visiting President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin said in the statement issued on Monday.
According to the statement, both sides agreed to take
coordinating measures to expand and deepen trade and economic
cooperation among the SCO members.
China and Russia will also enhance cooperation with Central
Asian countries in politics, trade and economy and security within
bilateral frameworks and the framework of the SCO, it said.
On the fight against terror, the two sides voiced the hope that
the SCO's capabilities to fight terrorism would be further
strengthened. The SCO should give full play to its important role
in boosting cooperation within its framework in cracking down on
the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and beating
back new challenges and removing new threats, the statement
said.
President Hu arrived in Moscow earlier on Monday for a three-day
state visit.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)
