DUSHANBE, August 16, Asia-Plus – Itar Tass -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has gathered for a session in a narrow format at the Ala Archa government residence at the foothills on the southern outskirts of Bishkek.  Then the session is continuing with an extended format. 

The Bishkek summit has brought together presidents from Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.  Also taking part at the summit are the leaders of Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, the foreign minister of Pakistan, and the Indian minister of oil and natural gas, who had been invited as observers or guests of honor.  Pakistan, India, Mongolia, and Iran have observer status. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and the UN Under-Secretary General Lynn Pascoe are also attending the summit in Bishkek as gusts of honor.  

One of the issues on the summit''s agenda could be establishing an energy club.  The SCO, whose members include energy-rich Russia and Kazakhstan, has been mulling the idea since February when representatives of the member-countries and managers of the leading regional energy companies met to discuss a possible structure for it.

A declaration to be adopted at the summit would reflect the views of its member states on the situation in the world.  The common views of the leaders of the member states on the development of the situation in the world will be reflected in the Bishkek Declaration of the summit.  The heads of state will review the work of the SCO and its bodies over the past year, including the changes made in its structure and the Secretariat status.  Ten documents are expected to be singed at the summit.  A voluminous document for signature is an agreement on long-term cooperation, friendship and good-neighborliness of the SCO member states.  The summiteers also plan to sign an agreement on cultural cooperation.  Economic cooperation is one of the priorities in the SCO.  The SCO heads of government have adopted a long-term program, which determines the benchmarks for economic integration of the SCO member states till 2020.

 The United Nations is ready to strengthen interaction with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe said, according to Russia’s news agency Itar Tass.  After his talks with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ednan Karabayev on Wednesday, Pascoe said the process of globalization has become so advanced that “modern challenges” pose a threat to the international community.   That is why the U.N. intends to maintain active cooperation with different organizations in order to effectively counteract such threats, the U.N. under-secretary-general said.

Pascoe said the UN has started developing active cooperation with regional organizations such as the League of Arab States, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian States and many others. In his view, in the difficult times they are able to have a positive impact on the events in the world. Thus, the SCO role is increasing that is why the U.N. intends to work with this organization, he said.