Thursday, 15 June 2006
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Thursday that Tehran was ready to increase its cooperation with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to further materialize the goals of regional peace, security and economic progress.
He made the remarks as he addressed the SCO on the opening of its sixth summit in this eastern port city of China this morning.
The presidents of Iran, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Mongolia, a high-ranking Indian delegation led by the country's minister of oil and energy as well as representatives from the United Nations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are the key participants in this day-long summit.
President Ahmadinejad, in his speech, expressed Tehran's readiness to promote its cooperation with SCO member states as he highlighted Iran's key geo-politic and geo-economic position in the region and the political and economic opportunities open for cooperation.
Noting that SCO member states have a total population of 1.455 billion (about a quarter of the world's total), the president called for closer ties and familiarity among the peoples and governments of these states in the interest of progress.
President Ahmadinejad also offered Tehran as host for the next SCO summit.
Some 796 reporters have arrived in Shanghai to cover this event.
A number of documents, covering projects worth over USD 2 billion, are expected to be signed in this day-long summit.
Participants will discuss progress achieved by the organization so far and decisions that have to be made on various subjects. They will also review major regional and international developments.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in China Wednesday afternoon and is scheduled to confer with the presidents of Russia, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan on bilateral and regional issues on the sidelines of the summit.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an inter-governmental organization founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six countries including China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia have observer status in the SCO.
The organization aims to draw member states to work together to maintain regional peace, security and stability and encourage creation of a new international political and economic order anchored on the principles of democracy, justice and rationality.
IRNA Thursday June 15, 2006
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Thursday, 15 June 2006
Iran
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