ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 4. Uzbekistan proposes to hold an annual "SCO Plus" dialog on security issues, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting of the SCO Plus format in Astana, Trend reports.
"Holding a meeting in the SCO Plus format is very timely and in demand. The world needs more than ever to restore trust, justice, and solidarity. Global political and economic rifts, wars, and conflicts undermine the key principles of the system of international relations. Contradictions generate fragmentation of the world economy and supply chain failures, erecting new dividing lines that hinder effective interaction between countries in trade, finance and investment, technology transfer, and innovation," he said.
The President of Uzbekistan believes that the only way to solve these problems is to consolidate efforts in the interests of universal security, development, and prosperity.
According to him, new realities require new strategic approaches to enhancing the effectiveness of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
"Today, as it stands on the threshold of its 25th anniversary, the time has come to work out a new agenda for the SCO that would correspond to the enormous potential and the growing role of our organization in world politics and economy. I propose to intensify joint efforts to strengthen the atmosphere of trust and friendship within the SCO and to remove barriers to deep cooperation. First of all, it is necessary to take a fresh look at the conceptual foundations of the SCO's activities on security issues. The nature and scope of modern challenges have changed significantly. Environmental and natural disasters, water and food shortages, cyber-attacks, and new methods of undermining sovereignty and economic stability pose an increasing threat. All of this should also be taken into account when considering the strengthening of the SCO's potential, including the creation of a universal center for countering threats and challenges to security. In this context, I propose to hold an annual SCO Plus dialog on security issues with the participation of heads of competent bodies and experts from all our countries," Mirziyoyev said.
To note, the SCO Summit is taking place on July 4, 2024, in the Independence Palace of Astana under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan.
The event is attended by the heads of state and government of Kazakhstan, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the UAE, Türkiye and Turkmenistan, as well as the SCO Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
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