Since taking over the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in July 2024, China has worked to promote deeper SCO cooperation in various sectors, achieving great success, according to SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev.
Speaking with China Media Group (CMG) in an exclusive interview released on Friday, Yermekbayev highlighted the positive role China has played during its term as the rotating presidency.
"As one of the founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China has steadfastly upheld the organization's purposes and principles over the past 24 years, making significant contributions to deepening cooperation within the organization and enhancing mutual trust and friendship among its member states. During its term of rotating presidency [for 2024-2025], China developed a rich program featuring over 100 activities across a wide range of sectors. These initiatives cover key areas such as energy, climate change, food security and poverty reduction, as well as youth exchanges and public health, effectively facilitating significant progress in cooperation across these sectors. The SCO Secretariat and the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO have consistently worked closely and given full support to China's various efforts. As the rotating chair of the SCO, China is playing a very positive role," he said.
The year of 2025 has been designated as the SCO Year of Sustainable Development. Yermekbayev noted that China has made great efforts in helping to eliminate poverty and promote green development.
"On China's initiative, the leaders of the SCO member states jointly chose sustainable development as the theme for this year. This theme is expansive, promoting China, as the rotating chair, to focus its efforts on eight key areas including poverty reduction, digital economy, industrialization, green industries, public health, and food security. During its presidency, China hosted a series of unique events. We held a meeting of trade union leaders and a meeting on standardization cooperation for the first time in the SCO's history. We successfully held a poverty reduction forum in Omsk, Russia, and another forum on poverty reduction and sustainable development in Xi'an City of China's Shaanxi Province. Numerous activities focusing on key areas such as digital economy and artificial intelligence were staged. We also held the SCO Family Youth Friendship Tree-Planting Activity, planting trees in a park in Beijing. SCO member states also carried out various activities aimed at environmental protection," he said.
China will host this year's SCO summit in northern municipality Tianjin from Aug 31 to Sept 1.
With leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations to attend, the summit will be the largest one since the establishment of the organization.
Great achievements made in various sectors during China's term as SCO rotating presidency: secretary-general
Great achievements made in various sectors during China's term as SCO rotating presidency: secretary-general
