The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) forum on poverty reduction and sustainable development featured in-depth exchanges of views on the theme among member states, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
The forum took place in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China, on Tuesday.
"The SCO Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development was held in Xi'an in recent days. All parties had in-depth exchanges of views on the theme of sustained poverty reduction and cooperative development, advancing poverty alleviation and sustainable development among SCO countries. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, in which he said that as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to continuously enhance policy communication with all parties, share poverty reduction experience, deepen practical cooperation, help more countries explore poverty reduction and sustainable development paths that suit their national conditions, and join hands to build a beautiful world free from poverty and with common prosperity," Mao said.
President Xi's letter aroused warm response from the forum participants who believed that it reflected the great importance he attaches to poverty eradication and sustainable development of SCO member nations, said the spokeswoman.
"Since taking over the rotating presidency of the SCO, China has sponsored a series of activities centering on the theme of the Year of Sustainable Development, which has further deepened cooperation in poverty reduction with fellow SCO member states and contributed to the sustainable economic and social development of all countries," Mao said.
Spokeswoman on SCO forum held in Xi'an
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.
The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.
Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest
