by Deng Xianlai
BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- China has always been a positive contributor to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the regional body's Secretary-General Rashid Alimov told Xinhua Tuesday in an interview.
As a founding member of the SCO, China has consistently made positive contributions to interactions within the SCO framework, proposed initiatives that are conducive to all parties, and supported the work of the organization's permanent bodies, Alimov said.
With regard to China-proposed initiatives, Alimov, a career diplomat who previously held the post of Tajik ambassador to China, said such proposals "bear profound strategic character," especially the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Stressing the importance of aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of each SCO members, Alimov said relevant parties must spare no effort in gradually working out an effective mechanism for regional economic cooperation.
In that context, Alimov said, an agreement on streamlining trade, which was proposed by President Xi at the just-concluded 17th meeting of Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan, is very forward-looking.
Looking back at the Astana summit held from June 8-9, the secretary-general said one of the key events of the summit was granting India and Pakistan full membership status in the bloc.
After admitting India and Pakistan, Alimov said, the SCO covers 44 percent of the world's population, with an obviously higher percentage of young people in the demographic makeup.
Given the decades-long territorial disputes between New Delhi and Islamabad, there have been fears that the foes will bring hostilities into the SCO.
In response to those concerns, Alimov said the disputes between the two countries should be discussed and resolved through a bilateral format and in a friendly and constructive manner.
Although the SCO has neither the authority nor the instrument to settle bilateral disputes, Alimov said member states of the organization are willing to discuss issues of common interests based on equality of all members.
Alimov said the SCO will create a very important and positive political atmosphere that is helpful for comprehensively consolidating and developing trust, respect and friendship. "This is the key attitude of the eight-member SCO towards new members such as India and Pakistan," he said.
The SCO has never and will never go against any country, and this has been clearly stated in the organization's basic documents, Alimov said, adding that the bloc has vastly increased its influence and prestige in international and regional affairs within a relatively short period of time, and has always been advocating peaceful development and good-neighborly relations.
The SCO is not a military bloc, and it constantly strengthens mechanisms aimed at resolutely eradicating terrorism and other forms of criminal acts, Alimov said.
The career diplomat also said the organization will take further measures to boost cooperation among member states in the fields of education, tourism, media, culture as well as people-to-people exchanges, noting that the bloc's eight members are home to 15 percent of world cultural heritage as listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
