Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 28 June 2024, the 25th meeting of the SCO Business Council Board took place in Astana.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the national sections of the Business Council from India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The agenda included discussions on deepening trade and economic ties, investment cooperation, and the development of joint infrastructure projects.

This year’s Chairman of the SCO Business Council, Raimbek Batalov from Kazan, highlighted Iran’s attainment of full membership in the SCO.

The Kazakh side also emphasized the need to develop financial mechanisms for economic cooperation growth, including the creation of the SCO Investment Fund using the platform of the Astana International Financial Centre.

Iranian representative Majidreza Hariri stressed the need to raise awareness about investment opportunities among partners.

Russian Federation representative Sergey Katyrin pointed to the growing demand for SCO opportunities and emphasized the necessity of joint work towards sustainable development (ESG) with a focus on environmental issues in business.

The Uzbek side proposed organizing conferences and seminars for experience exchange, creating a unified information platform, and establishing a committee of women entrepreneurs.

The delegation heads underscored the importance of encouraging regional economic cooperation in various forms and facilitating the creation of favorable conditions for trade and investment, which are essential for the gradual implementation of the free movement of goods, capital, services, and technologies.

In concluding the meeting, Executive Secretary Sergey Kanavsky noted, "All your guidance and suggestions will be taken into account. We are preparing a special document called the main directions of the SCO Business Council’s activities for this purpose."