RUSSIA AND THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

The Russian Federation, acting together with the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, is the founding state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (“the SCO”) incorporated in 2001.

Proactive involvement in the SCO operations is one of the top priorities of Russia’s foreign policy pursued in the Asian Pacific region.

Russia makes valuable contributions into the preparation and organization of summits of the Council of heads of states, the Council of heads of governments (prime-ministers), summits of secretaries of security councils, ministers of foreign affairs of the SCO member states, chairmen of supreme courts, general prosecutors, ministers of branch ministries and directors of other bodies; Russia issues multiple initiatives that facilitate the operation of groups of experts in charge of diverse areas of cooperation; Russia is also engaged in the drafting of political declarations, joint statements and regulatory documents issued by the SCO.

Summits of the heads of the SCO member states were held in St.Petersburg in 2002 and in Moscow in 2003; the summit of the heads of governments of the SCO member states was held in Moscow in 2005; summits of the ministers of foreign affairs of the SCO member states were held in Moscow in 2002 and in 2004, and summits of the heads of parliaments were held in Moscow in 2006.

Following the proposals made by the Russian Federation, the SCO Forum was incorporated (as the site designated for the development of interactions between research and development institutions as well as centers of political studies of SCO member states), arrangement of summits attended by ministers of state defense and members of parliaments of the SCO states was streamlined, the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Authority were founded.

Currently, Russia, together with other SCO member states, is implementing its initiatives including the arrangement of summits attended by the ministers of foreign affairs and public safety, by the officers employed with the agencies engaged in nature protection, Russian has also undertaken incorporation of the Center for prevention of natural and anthropogenic disasters, a association for the young people, the Electric Power Club, and the SCO University.

The issues of international informational security, that are turning all the more important, are included into the SCO agenda.  The Council of the heads of states approved the operating plan for the assurance of international informational security in Bishkek on August 16, 2007. 

Russia maintains close cooperation with its partners within the framework of the SCO Regional Antiterrorist Structure; Russia has also initiated the drafting of several documents dedicated to counterterrorism, as well as to the struggle against separatism and extremism; Russia would regularly participate in the war games initiated by the Regional Antiterrorist Structure.

In August 2007, the first major antiterrorist field training exercises named Peaceful  Mission 2007 were launched by the SCO member states in Chebarkoul, Chelyabinsk Region.  Volgograd-Antiterror – 2008 joint antiterrorist training exercises to be jointly held by the special services of the SCO member states, are scheduled for September 2008. 

Russia promotes exertion of joint efforts by the SCO member states with regard to the issues associated with Afghanistan.  “Belts” declared as free from drugs and financially secure “belts” are arranged along the Afghanistan border; Russia has also initiated a specialized Afghanistan-related conference to be held under the auspices of the SCO. 

Russia’s contribution into the SCO budget is equal to 24%, therefore, the shares of Russian officers in the SCO Secretariate in Beijing and in the Executive Committee of the Regional Antiterrorist Structure are equal to 7 officers out of the total 30 (Russian officers also occupy positions of the Deputy General Secretary of the SCO and the Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Antiterrorist Structure).