Top think tanks from Russia and China discussed a wide range of security issues of common concern at a two-day seminar that ended in Moscow on Sunday.

Participants at the seminar exchanged ideas on world economic and political trend, the situation in Central Asia, and prospects for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) under the global security framework.

The seminar, "Russia and China in a new era," was co-chaired by China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS) and Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (CFDP).

Xiong Guangkai, chairman of the CIISS, and Sergei Karaganov, head of the CFDP, attended the meeting.

Participants in the meeting agreed that the current world is at a stage of profound change and major readjustment. The ongoing financial crisis has led to greater instability in global and regional situation. Yet, the world will continue to move towards multi-polarization despite emerging complexities in global situation.

Both sides believed that safeguarding security and stability in Central Asia serves the common strategic interests of China and Russia, and is also a necessity for deepening the two countries' strategic cooperation.

They also agreed the SCO, as a new organization of regional security cooperation, not only accords with fundamental interests of all the SCO members, but also contributes to regional and global peace and security. China and Russia shall strengthen understanding, trust and cooperation to ensure the sound development of the SCO.

As a national, nongovernmental institute on global issues, the CIISS keeps in touch with about 100 institutions from over 50 countries and regions across the world. The CFDP is Russia's famed think tank closely associated with several departments of Russian government and legislature.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2009)