VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN

International Visits

14 october, 2009 09:06

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Heads of Government Council meeting

Vladimir Putin: Esteemed Mr Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, esteemed colleagues.

Yesterday, in the course of my visit to the People's Republic of China, I had an opportunity to congratulate the Chinese people and the Chinese leadership on the 60th anniversary of the PRC. I want to use this occasion to again offer my congratulations and wish you all the best.

We have already begun a discussion within a narrow circle of our colleagues, heads of government of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member-countries. Now, in the extended format, I would like to greet all our colleagues, including the heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation observer nations. I would like to stress that your participation in our joint work is important for us. It broadens the Organisation's capabilities, and enables us to coordinate our efforts in a wider area, especially since we are all interested in these efforts because we live in the same region of the world.

The key focus of our agenda is the global economic crisis. Almost all states have felt the impact. At the same time, the crisis has catalysed a discussion on ways of reforming the global financial architecture. I believe that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can and must take an active part in this process, especially since the Organisation has already become a recognised force in global security and economic coordination.

We should make full use of the advantages and benefits of cooperation in the post-crisis period of development. The Joint Initiative of Global Economic Crisis Counteraction, which we are to adopt today, provides a good basis for this. This document will allow us to coordinate anti-crisis measures within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Our countries' relevant ministries will play a special role here. Actually, at issue is the establishment of a sort of "headquarters" responsible for the SCO long-term multi-lateral trade and economic cooperation programme.

The current work to develop business cooperation should be the concern of expert groups. The organising country of the next annual meeting of economic ministers of our countries could coordinate their activities.

The Secretariat, whose functions now expand considerably, will be answerable for the preparation of statistical information and analysis reports on the state of the Organisation's economies. I also believe we could turn to our observers and dialogue partners to consider supplying their data to the Secretariat. I am sure this would enable us to better coordinate our efforts to tackle social and economic problems in the first place.

It is also important to move ahead with the provision of financial backing and support for project development within our Organisation. We should agree on the concept of a special SCO account. And then, before the current year is out, prepare the relevant documents for adoption.

A meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors could examine these issues, it appears.

Lastly, the SCO Business Council and Interbank Consortium are expected to play an important role in solving social and economic problems. I am confident that today's meeting of representatives from the business community will produce new proposals for extending trade and economic cooperation through better coordination with SCO observers and in other ways.

In this context, we welcome the initiative by our Mongolian counterparts to host an away meeting of the Business Council in Ulan Bator before the year's end.

The successful development of trade and economic cooperation is impossible without adequate infrastructure, well-functioning transport corridors, construction and provision of new checkpoints, agreed to crossing protocols, and solutions to other transit issues.

We make much of pilot projects in transport, including the construction of the E-40 motor highway. We are also ready to consider an upgrading for a faster Russian section.

We expect that the forthcoming meeting of transport ministers this November in Beijing will yield an agreement on an overall highway transport system for the region.

Coordinated efforts by customs services of the member-countries, depending on the competence and mutual understanding of their staffs, are also important.

Coordinating the actions of member state customs services is also important and depends on staff competence and a level of mutual understanding. The protocol on cooperation in training and advanced training of customs officers, also to be signed today, will help significantly increase efficiency. In addition, we have discussed improvement of customs services' interaction at a bilateral meeting with our Chinese colleagues.

Economic problems inevitably arise due to labour migration. In accordance with the agreements reached at our previous meeting in Astana, we have begun a discussion on a range of related issues. It is important that this discussion cover policies against illegal migration, and readmission, and the streamlining of procedures for legal guest workers to protect their rights and legal interests. We must protect them, but we will only be able to do so when the procedures are well-regulated.

I think it advisable to instruct the Council of SCO National Coordinators to supervise the drafting of the relevant documents.

Energy is a traditional priority on our global agenda. Therefore, I would like to remind you of Russia's proposal to establish a permanent forum to discuss energy issues, an Energy Club or an SCO Forum. I am confident that this informal exchange and expert discussion of new ideas will be useful and will promote the development of bilateral energy cooperation.

Considering our mutual interests in expanding the use of information technologies, we need to work consistently towards building an integrated SCO information space. Therefore, it is important to accelerate two pilot projects, the organisation of cross-border cooperation with the use of the electronic/digital signatures of SCO member states, and a high-speed SCO information network.

I suggest we ask the respective agencies concerned to analyse the projects and jointly plan the next steps.

Healthcare cooperation has been included on today's agenda upon Russia's initiative. With the growing threat of outbreaks and cross-border spread of infections, we certainly need to plan policies to counter this threat. We appreciate our colleagues' support.

We have already drafted an action plan. The joint actions are listed in today's Statement on fighting infectious diseases. We also propose discussing an arrangement to coordinate the actions of the member states' medical services in such emergencies.

We need to generally boost the SCO's ability to respond to various kinds of emergencies. We expect a special centre to open in the near future. We certainly support this idea.

SCO member states' anti-terrorist, anti-drug and anti-crossborder crime efforts are our permanent priorities, too. This will involve greater cooperation with other countries and international organisations.

The developments in our region, especially in Afghanistan and around it, call for more energetic and coordinated actions from foreign ministries and security agencies. We know how much effort our Afghan counterparts are making and must support them as much as we can.

It is important to make the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) more effective, and step up the formation of an efficient anti-drug mechanism within the SCO. The heads of the agencies concerned agreed on this at their meeting last May.

Interestingly, Shanghai, the birthplace of the SCO, also hosted a meeting of the International Opium Commission exactly 100 years ago. That meeting laid the foundations for international anti-drug trafficking cooperation, initiated by a number of countries including Russia. This effort should remain a priority.

Another important task is to take preventive action against money laundering.

As for cultural, we have encouraging prospects to expand joint educational projects and youth contact within the SCO. We have established a regular practice of Education Weeks and forums for university rectors. The SCO Youth Council has also been a success. The SCO University will probably open soon, too.

An international song contest Intervision within the SCO would be a good idea for consolidating cultural ties between the member states. This idea was discussed in general between SCO culture ministries last April. It would be good now to get down to implementing it. One of Russia's leading TV companies, Channel One, is ready to participate.

The SCO is intensively preparing for Expo-2010 in Shanghai. We need to decide as soon as possible on our joint display concept and create an SCO display. I suggest entrusting this work to the Council of National Coordinators, and working closely with our Chinese partners, the organisers of Expo-2010. We have a lot of work ahead.

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Ladies and gentlemen,

In conclusion, allow me to greet Kyrgyzstan which is taking over the rotating SCO presidency of the SCO Heads of Government Council.

I would like to highlight once again that SCO development remains one of Russia's top foreign-policy priorities. We plan to take an active part in all of its future endeavours.

Thank you.

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The joint agreements below were signed following a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government:

1. The decisions of the SCO Council of Heads of Government:

- on the report of the SCO Secretariat on the progress of implementing the programme of multilateral cooperation in trade and the economy between SCO member states;

- on the financial report of the SCO on the implementation of its budget for 2008;

- on the SCO budget for 2010;

- on the redistribution of the estimated budget expenditure of the SCO and the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for 2009.

2. The joint communiqué following the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.

3. The joint initiative to foster multilateral economic cooperation to overcome the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis and to ensure the development of SCO economies.

4. The joint statement on countering infectious diseases on SCO territory.

5. The protocol between SCO customs services for cooperation in training and advanced training of customs officials.