- What role does the SCO play on the international stage and in what areas is its influence most apparent?

- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established a relatively not long time ago. It is eight years old this year.

The role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is most felt in areas of cooperation such as politics, security, the economy and cultural ties.

Cooperation on security issues was always one of the SCO’s key areas of activity. Significant results have been achieved in the joint war on terror, separatism, extremism and in countering the illegal trade in drugs and weapons, and cross-border organised crime.

In recent years, the Organisation has paid more attention to cooperation on economic issues, and has put significant effort into implementing the Programme of long-term economic cooperation, as well as concrete projects that are of mutual interest.

- What fundamental questions will be discussed at the forthcoming SCO summit in Yekaterinburg?

- The ninth summit in Yekaterinburg will set out our joint position on relevant questions, such as overcoming the effects of the global economic crisis, ensuring economic and financial stability in the Organisation’s member states, and creating a new, fairer and more representative international financial system.

Of course, questions about cooperation on security and the fight with international terrorism, illegal drugs trade and organised cross-border crime will also feature on the agenda. It is clear, and this was demonstrated in March 2009 at the Moscow Conference on Afghanistan, held under the SCO auspices, that questions of cooperating on the stabilisation in that much suffering country and collectively counteracting threats from terrorism and drug trade will also be discussed in detail. I am certain that the key role of the UN as the overarching organisation will be emphasised.

- Is it possible to establish a kind of a CSTO-style military union within the framework of the SCO?

- The SCO founding documents define its role as effective cooperation between our countries on security issues. The SCO considers the main threats to peace, security and stability to be international terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Ensuring the required level of cooperation on military, law enforcement and special services levels is a key element in our joint efforts to counter these threats.

Ministers of Defence from the SCO member states meet annually and discuss the military-political situation in our environment, and agree areas of cooperation.

The regular military exercises have an anti-terrorist focus. The documents relating to cooperation with other specialised regional organisations, including the CSTO, stipulate that kind of cooperation to fight international terrorism, drug and weapons trafficking, and organised transnational crime.

The defence component of the SCO activities will continue to be refined; however, there are no plans to reform the SCO into a military-political bloc on the model of those that already exist. The bloc delimitation would contradict the Shanghai principle of non-confrontationalism.

- What stage has been reached in considering the acceptance of new members into the SCO?

Steps to expand the Organisation, something that is, I think, inevitable, must be carefully thought out. We must take into account the future strengthening of the foundations on which the six states united to form the SCO. Currently a document on the process of welcoming new members into the SCO is being elaborated. Membership criteria are very strict, since the Organisation must only be expanded to include candidates that merit it in all respects.