Meeting of Council of SCO Heads of Government starts in Bishkek

The 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states has kicked off in Bishkek at the Ala Archa State Residence, chaired by Kyrgyzstan, Report informs referring to Kyrgyz media.

Chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov, opening the meeting, noted that the development of economic cooperation is one of the main issues on the agenda.

He said that it is important to continue work to strengthen interaction in trade, production, energy, transport and other areas, as well as to create a common economic market based on modern innovative principles of development.

“The issue of creating a development bank and an SCO development fund has been discussed for a long time. They would provide direct assistance in the implementation of joint projects and a gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements of the SCO member states,” he noted.

Japarov added that there is a positive trend in the construction project of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which will connect East and West along the China-West Asia-Europe route.

The meeting is attended by chairman of the Cabinet of Kyrgyzstan, heads of government of Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, vice-president of Iran, deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Turkmenistan, foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.