Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he sees agreement on security policies and the fight against terrorism as the most important goal of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The summit of the SCO, which groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was to begin Thursday in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

The main task of the summit should be "the elimination of terrorism, separatism and extremism," Putin told journalists in Bishkek before the meeting.

The SCO was founded in 2001 as a security-led forum but has since expanded into other areas of cooperation.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said the summit would also focus on economic cooperation between the six countries.