BISHKEK, May 22 (dna): Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) member states said Wednesday that they advocate a
multipolar world and oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism.

The top diplomats of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan,
Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as SCO Secretary General
Vladimirov Norov and Dzhumakhon Giyosov, director of the Executive
Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), attended
a ministerial meeting on Wednesday in Bishkek.

The ministers said in a press release that the top priority of the
international community is to establish a multipolar world in accordance
with common interests and based on the norms of international law as
well as principles of respecting each other’s interests,
multilateralism, equal and indivisible security and rejection to
confrontation and conflict.

The ministers called for common aspirations of promoting the building of
a new type of international relations, featuring mutual respect,
equality, justice and win-win cooperation, and building a community with
a shared future for mankind.

They said it is necessary to improve global economic governance system
and develop trade and investment cooperation.

The World Trade Organization remains the important and only platform for
global trade negotiations, they stressed.

They oppose any form of unilateralism and trade protectionism, and
agreed to conduct close coordination to establish an open world economy
and consolidate the multilateral trade regime that is open, inclusive,
transparent, non-discriminatory and based on rules.

The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the
China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and welcomed the outcomes
of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held
last month in Beijing.

They acknowledged the efforts of relevant parties to cooperate under the
BRI and align the BRI with the Eurasian Economic Union.

The foreign ministers supported tapping the potential of national and
international institutions to build up broad, open, mutually beneficial
and equal partnerships in the SCO area.

They agreed to improve the legal basis for cooperation in trade,
finance, science and technology and people-to-people exchanges.

The diplomats urged the international community to pay due attention to
global threats and challenges, including terrorism, separatism,
extremism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, drug
trafficking, organized crimes, cyber crimes, regional conflicts, uneven
development, grain market fluctuations and climate change.

They also underlined the significance of safeguarding and implementing
the Iran nuclear deal and called on all sides to fulfill respective
obligations.