Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (4th L) and other foreign ministers and officials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) pose for a group photo in Moscow May 15, 2009. The foreign ministers of SCO's six member states met on Friday to prepare for the SCO summit, to be held in Yekaterinburg of Russia in mid-June. [Xinhua/Zhang Yacheng]

Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states met Friday to prepare for a SCO summit next month in Yekaterinburg.

The foreign ministers spoke highly of the achievements the SCO has accomplished since the Dushanbe summit last August, and exchanged views on jointly tackling the international financial crisis, cracking down on terrorism and deepening pragmatic cooperation among members.

In the face of complicated international and regional situations, the SCO maintains sound momentum with its constructive role in regional affairs enhanced and trust and cooperation among members strengthened, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at the meeting.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attends the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow May 15, 2009. [Xinhua/Lu Jinbo]

Against the backdrop of a worsening global financial crisis and dramatically changing international political and economic situations, SCO members should earnestly implement the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, Yang said.

He said they should also consolidate mutual political trust, push pragmatic cooperation to a higher level, play a bigger role in safeguarding member interests and ensuring regional peace.

The top Chinese diplomat put forward three proposals.

First, the members should reinforce political consultation and boost their level of strategic cooperation.

Second, they should deepen security cooperation and safeguard regional peace and stability.

Third, they should broaden economic cooperation and work together to overcome the global financial crisis.

The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet in Moscow May 15, 2009, to prepare for the SCO summit, to be held in Yekaterinburg of Russia in mid-June. [Xinhua/Lu Jinbo]

China supports the SCO's efforts to conduct diplomacy, to deepen pragmatic cooperation with observers, and to accept new dialogue partners in accordance with relevant rules, Yang said.

China will actively participate in SCO activities, make join efforts with members to advance the development of the bloc and bring benefits to the peoples, Yang said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday met with the foreign ministers, who signed resolutions concerning preparatory work for the mid-June summit and the development of the organization.

The SCO, a regional security organization founded in 2001, consists of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2009)