New chances for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

by Sergey Nesterenko

18-08-07

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has a good future, not only in the political aspect. The organization is beefing up economic muscles, growing in attraction to the region and the world. Many analysts compare it to ESCAPO and suppose it could eventually develop into a kind of Asian OSCE.
Which one of its main constituents -- security or economy -- will prevail, is hard to predict yet. Its seventh summit opened in Bishkek, which Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev attended.

This summit was representative enough, bringing together leaders of 10 states, 6 of them SCO full members: Kazakhstan -- Nursultan Nazarbayev, China -- Hu Jintao, Kyrgyzstan -- Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Russia -- Vladimir Putin, Tajikistan -- Emomali Rahmon, Uzbekistan -- Islam Karimov and Presidents of two observer states: Mongolia -- Nambaryn Enhbayar and Iran -- Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Besides the Presidents of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and of Turkmenistan Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov attended the meeting as honorary guests. Two more observer states -- India and Pakistan were represented by ministers. Lynn Pasco, UN deputy-secretary general was present too.

The main part of the forum took place in “Ala-Archa” state residence, specially revamped for the summit. Add to that the guesthouse and an assembly hall recently constructed by Chinese builders in a record-short time, in 157 days, plus China’s grand assistance -- 10 buses and 30 representative-class cars. All this is illustrative of the mutual support spirit reigning in SCO.
At the summit, the topics brought up in the first place concerned boost of mutually beneficial contacts and progress of the earlier charted plans.

Note should be made that with the vast space – 1/4 of the globe SCO states take up and the big energy and natural resources it would certainly be unwise not to tap such potential. Besides there is sufficient legal basis for the integration enhancement: A program for multilateral trade-economic cooperation envisaging creation of the necessary conditions for free movement of commodities, services and technologies.
Add to this the Business Council, Development Fund and inter-bank alliance, thanks to which first contracts were concluded for credit lines and joint funding of big investment projects.

Special attention was drawn to the energy area. Last year, Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev offered to work out a model for an Asian energy strategy, implying development of a single SCO market in this area. Putin in his turn offered to establish an energy club and work in this direction is going on.
This time Nazarbayev voiced certain aspects of the Kazakhstan-drafted energy strategy, i.e. creation of an SCO energy agency, a kind of “think tank” and data bank of the organization.

Multilateral contacts are being set up in practically all cooperation areas, including healthcare, education, tourism, agro-industrial complex, transport and culture. The processes are going to be sped up, which was the aim of the Bishkek Treaty on lasting good-neighbourly relations, friendship and cooperation.
A no less important document is the cooperation agreement between the SCO Business Council and inter-bank alliance. SCO has good chances for cooperation in the banking area, which formed the basis for the Eurasian development bank, jointly created by Kazakhstan and Russia in 2006, a good opportunity for funding projects in association with the inter-bank alliance, Nazarbayev noted.

Also, Nazarbayev offered to attract international financial institutes to create a trans-continental transport corridor between Europe and Asia, a new form of the great Silk Road traditions, to boost transit volumes. Border cooperation potential could be tapped too.
Need for exchange of views on topical international and regional problems was among the subjects brought up too. A political declaration of the summit reflects a shared vision of modern reality. SCO members reaffirmed their will for a wider cooperation.

Another important document signed is the action plan to ensure international information security.
The situation in Afghanistan was among the topics discussed at the summit, prior to which Nazarbayev met Hamid Karzai. Aggravating Taliban movement, drugs and arms smuggling, poverty in the country -- all that needs to be urgently attended to, the summit participants agreed. Contact group “SCO-Afghanistan” is working on it.

Nazarbayev offered to work out a mechanism for fulfilment of the agreement on fighting drugs, supporting an offer at the summit on holding a special conference on socioeconomic rehabilitation in Afghanistan.
Encountering three evils -- terrorism, extremism and separatism took up a sizeable part of the meeting, progress report of SCO anti-terrorist structure was presented. Nazarbayev stressed the need to complete the work on SCO anti-terrorism agreements. Also the Kazakh leader deems it expedient to handle ecological security in the region, rational use of water resources and develop common approaches on trans-border rivers to balance national interests.

Talking on external contacts, SCO members underlined the need for further collaboration with the UN, EU, ASEAN, OSCE, CIS, EuAsEC, CSTO and Shanghai -- six are planning to sign a cooperation agreement. In future the two structures will have joint anti-terrorist exercises, contribute to Afghan recovery and fight drug trafficking together.
In this respect fears in the West that SCO might be a regional military-political block like NATO are groundless. For one thing the joint military exercises do not target any state, and for another, SCO’s main mission, its Charter says, is real improvement of people’s life.

SCO’s rating is going up, the proof to which is a growing number of international organizations looking to establish close contacts with it, and the observer-states are willing to be its full members.
Following the official part of the summit Nazarbayev had a meeting with Iran President Ahmadinejad, then came a cultural program -- culture and art festival, a standing tradition. The Bishkek summit was crowned by signing an agreement between SCO governments on cooperation in culture. At night Nazarbayev and other state leaders left for Cheliabinsk to watch anti-terrorist exercises at Chebarkul polygon “Peaceful mission-2007”.
 

Source: www.kazpravda.kz