Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 4 July, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the latest summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), held in Astana.

The event, chaired by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, also saw the participation of President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Acting President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mohber, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as well as the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Zhang Ming and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO Ruslan Mirzaev.

In accordance with the agenda, there was an open exchange of views on current issues of regional and international significance, discussing the prospects for further expanding multi-dimensional cooperation within SCO.

Welcoming the summit participants, the Uzbek President highly appreciated Kazakhstan’s chairmanship outcomes within SCO and sincerely congratulated Belarus on its accession to the organization.

The leader of our country emphasized that the current summit takes place against the backdrop of an exacerbating international situation.

New devastating conflicts arise, security challenges and threats intensify, which occur amid declining mutual trust, heightened confrontation and rivalry, and increased geopolitical tensions.

"In such challenging conditions, it is extremely important to maintain and further strengthen our commitment to the fundamental principles of SCO, which have enabled the organization’s current achievements, its high authority, and stabilizing role in international affairs," noted Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

In this context, he called for strict adherence to the fundamental principles of the "Shanghai Spirit" - mutual trust and mutual benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity, maintaining a non-bloc status, and consensus-based decision-making.

As noted by the President of Uzbekistan, in today’s realities, it is crucial not to allow the weakening of SCO unity. "We must strengthen the cohesion of the SCO family, maximize the opportunities available, and consistently implement the principle of joint development," he stated.

It was emphasized that to realize the colossal development potential of SCO countries, it is necessary to form a new model of economic partnership and develop a long-term agenda for sustainable development.

Speaking about the most pressing tasks facing SCO, the President of Uzbekistan drew attention to the following.

In the conditions of an unprecedented deficit of trust globally, there is a need to explore new approaches to ensuring our collective security.

In this context, the relevance of implementing the Uzbek side’s proposed Samarkand Initiative of solidarity for the sake of common security and prosperity is indicated.

The head of our state called for the adoption of a Code of Good-Neighborliness, Trust, and Transboundary Partnership within SCO to strengthen dialogue and deepen multilateral cooperation.

To achieve a strategic breakthrough in the economic dimension, it is proposed to develop an Agreement on Facilitating Trade Procedures within the organization, and a Cooperation Program in the field of e-commerce with the integration of existing digital trading platforms.

In support of industrial cooperation programs, the expediency of adopting a package of measures to stimulate mutual investments, primarily in infrastructure, high-tech industrial sectors, and the service sector, has been noted.

In this context, the importance of creating mechanisms for financial support for such projects, including the consideration of establishing an SCO Development Fund and Bank, has been emphasized.

The leader of Uzbekistan highlighted the necessity of forming an inclusive transportation system along the "East-West" and "North-South" lines, which will contribute to the effective development of the economic potential of SCO countries.

"The diversity of transportation corridors is a crucial condition for sustainable development of our entire region," emphasized the President.

The head of our state also proposed developing a Plan for the digitization of logistics procedures, including the organization of electronic data exchange on goods crossing SCO borders.

To expand modern and reliable energy infrastructure across the SCO space, it is proposed to prepare a Comprehensive Cooperation Plan to stimulate investments and technologies in renewable energy.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev particularly noted that to ensure the competitiveness of our countries, the transition to a digital economy, the implementation of "artificial intelligence," and advanced IT solutions are of paramount importance.

In this regard, he advocated for the development of a "Future Technologies of SCO" Program, which will allow sharing knowledge and best practices in this area.

The President of Uzbekistan proposed considering the possibility of adopting a "roadmap" for SCO countries’ cooperation in the field of social development and protection.

It was emphasized that the implementation of specific tasks to improve living standards and develop territories, primarily rural areas, will be a common contribution to achieving the Agenda 2030 goals.

In the context of ensuring food security, the development of a joint electronic platform "SCO Food Security Atlas," integrating data on the agro-industrial potential of organization countries in terms of produced products and supply opportunities, has been initiated. Experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are proposed to be involved in this work.

Touching upon regional security issues, the head of our state noted the necessity of continuing close coordination of the competent authorities of SCO countries in combating modern security challenges and threats, including through the SCO RATS.

The leader of Uzbekistan separately addressed the situation in neighboring Afghanistan as an integral part of Central Asia, directly affecting regional stability.

Pointing out differences in approaches to building relations with the current Afghan authorities, he called for maintaining dialogue with Kabul, which meets the interests of security and economic development of the entire region.

In this regard, the relevance of the proposal to resume the work of the "SCO-Afghanistan" Contact Group has been emphasized.

In conclusion, the leader of our country congratulated President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping on assuming the Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Following the meeting, a ceremony was held to sign documents. In particular, the Astana Declaration and a package of important multilateral documents aimed at further strengthening partnership in various areas of cooperation were adopted on the initiative of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev by the heads of SCO member states.