Kazakhstan preparing to hold about 80 events within SCO presidency

Kazakhstan is preparing to host about 80 events under its chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Roman Vasilenko, Kazakh deputy foreign minister, told Report in Astana.

“The head of our state, Kassym Zhomart Tokayev, came up with a number of initiatives for the period of the annual chairmanship of the SCO. Including the initiative to create a single community dedicated to strengthening peace and mutual understanding in the SCO area,” Vasilenko noted, adding that the priorities of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the organization will be issues of security, countering terrorism and extremism.

“There is also a task to develop economic cooperation within the organization. As you know, the number of member countries of this organization has increased: India and Pakistan joined it in 2017, and Iran this summer. Belarus is also expected to join. That is why there are a lot of tasks, and the work is being actively carried out,” the deputy minister stressed.

The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai. The organization consists of nine countries: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan is a dialogue partner of the SCO.