Masimov said that at the SCO summit held in Tajikistan in August, leaders of SCO members urged their governments to discuss issues concerning regional security, regional economic cooperation, water resource utilization and cultural cooperation, the report added.

The upcoming prime ministers’ meeting of SCO members, scheduled for 30 October in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, is expected to sign a series of related documents, he added.

Masimov said the SCO, born from the Shanghai Five established in 1996 to solve border disputes between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has grown into a strong bloc that can tackle various challenges.

The organization has great significance for world security, food guarantee and economic cooperation, he added.

The prime minister also said the current global financial crisis can trigger social and even security problems in some countries, so different countries in the world should join hands to deal with the challenges.

The SCO should and can play a bigger role in strengthening security in Central Asia and even across the globe, he added.

The SCO, founded in Shanghai in 2001, consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Pakistan, India, Iran and Mongolia as observers.