03.07.2024, 12:12 2911
Kazakhstan-China relations embark on a golden stage of development, President Tokayev
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Kazakhstan-China relations embarked on a golden stage of development, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during today’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Astana, Kazinform news Agency reports.
The Head of State thanked his Chinese counterpart for paying a state visit to Kazakhstan.
It is a testimony of further strengthening of Kazakhstan-China comprehensive strategic cooperation. Kazakhstan attaches great importance to strengthening of good neighborliness and centuries-long friendship between the two countries. We have created interstate integration that serves as a model for others and includes various areas, the President said highlighting that bilateral relations embarked on a new golden stage of development.
The Head of State said the ties between the two countries contribute to sustainable social, and economic development and raising people’s welfare.
Last year the mutual trade turnover reached a record high of 41 billion US dollars. 45 joint investment projects are currently being developed in industry, energy, transport, transit, green economy, agriculture sectors, etc.
As earlier reported, a solemn welcome ceremony of the President of China, Xi Jinping, who arrived for a state visit to Kazakhstan, was held at the Akorda Residence.
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05.07.2024, 09:29 25176
Xi calls for building common home of solidarity, prosperity and fairness
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Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Thursday called for building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice, Xinhua reports.
Xi made the remarks when attending the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+.
At present, changes of historical significance across the world during our times are unfolding in ways like never before, Xi said, adding that the international landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.
To cope with this major transformation, the key is to have the wisdom to see the changes, the ability to deal with the changes, and the courage to make changes, Xi said.
China proposes that SCO member states do more to share their experience on governance and hold the SCO Political Parties Forum at an appropriate time, he said.
No matter how the international landscape changes, the SCO must hold the bottom line of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Xi said.
Real security is premised on the security of all countries, he added.
We need to respect the development path of respective, independent choosing, and support each other in safeguarding core interests, he said.
We need to bridge our differences, build more consensus, and enhance mutual trust through strategic communication, Xi said.
He called for earnest efforts to establish a financing platform of the SCO, and welcomed all parties to use the Beidou Satellite Navigation System and participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station.
China will provide at least 1,000 training opportunities on digital technology to fellow countries in the SCO in the next three years, and host 1,000 young people from countries in the SCO for exchange opportunities in China in the next five years, Xi said.
The Chinese president said the current SCO summit has issued the Astana Declaration, the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development, and the statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership.
The SCO should make its important contribution to eliminating the deficits in peace, development, security and governance, he said.
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05.07.2024, 08:25 25351
Xi warns SCO members of real threat from Cold War mentality
Images | Xinhua/Xie Huanchi
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Chinese President Xi Jinping here Thursday called on the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ensure security in the face of real threat from the Cold War mentality, Xinhua reports.
Xi made the remarks when attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.
He urged the member states to adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, and respond to the profoundly changing international landscape with a win-win approach, so as to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.
Xi spoke highly of Kazakhstan's positive efforts and significant contributions to improving the operational mechanism of the SCO and deepening cooperation in various fields during its rotating presidency, and welcomed Belarus to attend the SCO summit as a member state for the first time.
He pointed out that the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved.
The SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good-neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations, Xi said, adding that the "Shanghai Spirit" has become a shared value and guiding principle for the member states.
Noting that the SCO has had its 10th member state since its establishment 23 years ago, Xi said the foundation for SCO cooperation has become more solid as the SCO "big family" has growing membership which covers three continents around the world.
As the world is faced with accelerating changes unseen in a century, the human society is standing at a crossroads of history again, Xi said.
Xi pointed out that the SCO stands on the right side of history, fairness and justice, and is of great significance to the world.
He called on SCO members to safeguard the right to development in the face of real risks of "small yard, high fences."
Xi noted that SCO members should adhere to mutual benefits and inclusiveness, join hands to push for scientific and technological innovation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, stimulate the internal impetus of regional economies, and work towards common development goals.
SCO members should consolidate unity and jointly oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division, he said.
The SCO members should firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, handle internal differences with a spirit of harmony, and resolve cooperation difficulties by seeking common ground while reserving differences, and firmly grasp the destiny of our countries and the peace and development of the region in our own hands, Xi said.
The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit on fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi stressed.
Xi called on the member states to stay true to the original aspiration, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit," help each other on their respective path to success, jointly maintain the development direction of the SCO, and build the organization into a reliable backbone for common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.
Leaders of the SCO members attending the meeting spoke positively of the constructive role of the organization in safeguarding regional peace and security, and voiced readiness to further strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, transportation, energy, finance, agriculture, digital economy and technological innovation, as well as to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism and youth, among other fields.
Noting that the current global political and economic landscape as well as international relations are undergoing major changes, the leaders said the United Nations should play a central coordinating role in promoting the building of a more representative, democratic and equitable multipolar world system, and pushing for an economic globalization that is mutually beneficial and inclusive.
They called for respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries, committing to resolve differences and disputes between countries through peaceful means, and opposing unilateral sanctions and interference in other countries' internal affairs.
The leaders agreed to improve the SCO mechanism for dealing with security threats and challenges, resolutely combat the "three forces," drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, support the international community's efforts for peace and development in Afghanistan, and support a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.
They signed and issued a series of documents, including an Astana declaration, and an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development.
The meeting formally approved Belarus' accession to the SCO, and decided that China will resume the rotating presidency of the organization for 2024-2025.
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04.07.2024, 17:25 23371
Kazakhstan hands over SCO presidency to China for 2024-25 period
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Today, the Astana Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states was signed following the SCO summit in the Kazakh capital, within which China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025, Kazinform News Agency cites the press service of the Organization.
SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming thanked the Republic of Kazakhstan for the productive work as the Chair during the meeting of the SCO Council of the Heads of State.
Before concluding, I’d like to thank the Republic of Kazakhstan for the productive work as the Chair as well as congratulate the People’s Republic of China on the beginning of the presidency of the Organization, said the SCO Secretary General.
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04.07.2024, 16:12 23521
Nurlan Yermekbayev appointed Secretary General of the SCO
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At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, member states elected a new Secretary General of the organization. Kazakhstan's Nurlan Yermekbayev becomes the new Secretary General for 2025-2027, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In different years Yermekbayev worked as defense minister, minister for religious affairs and civil society deputy foreign minister and assistant to the president - secretary of the Security Council. He is currently serving as Deputy Secretary General of the SCO.
Yermekbayev holds the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First Class. Speaks Kazakh, Russian, English, Chinese and Portuguese.
The Secretary General is appointed from among the citizens of the member states on a rotational basis for a period of three years without the right of extension for the next term. Zhang Ming of China has been SCO Secretary-General since 1 January 2022.
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04.07.2024, 14:53 23676
SCO members sign key documents on cooperation, including Astana Declaration
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At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, the leaders of the participating countries signed a number of key documents aimed at deepening cooperation in various fields, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The Astana Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states is signed.
The following decisions have been signed by the Heads of State:
- To approve the SCO initiative on world unity for just peace, harmony and development;
- On the draft SCO development strategy until 2035;
- On proposals by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states to improve SCO activities;
- On approval of the program of cooperation of the SCO member states in countering terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2025-2027;
- To approve the SCO anti-drug strategy for 2024-2029 and the action program for its implementation;
- To approve the strategy for the development of energy cooperation of the SCO member states until 2030;
- To approve the action plan for the implementation of the SCO economic development strategy until 2030;
- On the association of investors of the SCO member states;
- To approve a program to develop cooperation between the SCO member states in the field of protected areas and eco-tourism;
- On declaring Qingdao City of the People's Republic of China the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital in 2024-2025;
- To approve the road map on strengthening interaction between SCO member states and SCO dialogue partners;
- On mechanisms of financial support for SCO project activities;
- On signing a memorandum of understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for combating Illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors;
- On the plan of interaction between the SCO member states on ensuring international information security;
- On the SCO Secretary General;
- On the Director of the SCO RATS Executive Committee;
- On the report of the SCO Secretary General on SCO activities over the past year;
- On the report of the SCO RATS Council on SCO RATS activities in 2023.
The heads of state also adopted statements:
- Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership;
- Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on the provision of drinking water and sanitation;
- Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on effective waste management.
An agreement between the SCO member-states "On cooperation in the field of environmental protection" was also signed.
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04.07.2024, 13:49 23816
President Tokayev sums up Kazakhstan’s SCO chairmanship results
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Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev summed up the results of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The President said that thanks to the support of all SCO participants, as many as 150 events of different levels, including digital, tourism, energy and business forums, as well as the SCO youth council meeting, were held in the year of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the SCO, Kazinform News Agency reports citing the Akorda press service.
According to him, 60 new documents including the anti-drug strategy, the plan on implementation of the economic cooperation strategy, environmental protection agreement and energy cooperation development strategy have been developed. The range of the Organization’s international partners has been expanded. The activity of the Special Working Group on Promoting Investment has revived its activity. The process of transition to payments in national currencies has gained a positive dynamics.
Due to all these measures, trade and economic cooperation in the SCO space develops dynamically," the Kazakh President said.
Cultural-humanitarian ties strengthening was also in the spotlight of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the SCO, he noted.
A number of anchor projects were launched which make the SCO format more attractive. Among them is the project "Spiritual Relics of the SCO States" and first international music festival "SCO Silk Way." 10 tourist destinations for implementation of joint projects were determined. Almaty became the cultural and tourist capital of the SCO," the Kazakh President said.
In general, as Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, Kazakhstan fully implemented the goals and tasks stated at the previous summit. He also expressed his gratitude to all countries for the support and active participation in implementation of Kazakhstan's initiatives.
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04.07.2024, 11:08 23941
Belarus officially joins SCO, becoming its 10th member state
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Today at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, the Republic of Belarus was officially accepted as a full member of the organization, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The leaders of the SCO member countries signed a resolution of SCO Council of Heads of State on completing the process of the Republic of Belarus joining the organization and granting it the status of a full member of the SCO.
In this regard, I would like to greet the President of the Republic of Belarus. In a short period of time, your country has completed all the necessary procedures on the way to full membership in the SCO. If there are no objections, I propose to begin the meeting with the ceremony of signing documents on the admission of the Republic of Belarus to the SCO member states," says Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Earlier it was reported that the SCO summit had kicked off in the Kazakh capital with the official handshake ceremony.
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04.07.2024, 10:41 24186
SCO summit begins in Astana
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The 24th Summit of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has kicked off in Astana, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Presidents and heads of government of Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Turkiye, and Turkmenistan, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Minister of External Affairs of India, SCO Secretary-General and Director of the SCO RATS Executive Committee are taking part in the event.
UN Secretary-General and heads of such international organizations as the CIS, ECO, CICA, CSTO, EEC and IOFS also joined the summit.
The Astana Declaration, 20 decisions and three statements of the heads of state including the initiative "On World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony" and "On Improvement of the SCO". The completion of the procedure on accession of Belarus to the SCO.
The heads of state are expected to discuss a wide range of issues promoting further strengthening of multilateral cooperation within the SCO, its perspectives and solution of pressing international and regional problems.
The SCO+ meeting will be held in an extended format and will be titled as "World Unity for a Just Peace, Harmony and Development."
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