SHANGHAI -- Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed here Thursday the formation of a convention featuring lasting good neighborhood relations and cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Hu made the proposal at the SCO heads of state meeting in the Chinese economic hub, where the regional cooperation body was founded on June 15, 2001.

(From L-R) Uzbekistan's President Islom Karimov, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, China's President Hu Jintao, Tajikistan's President Imomali Rakhmonov and Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev pose during a group photo session at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Shanghai June 15, 2006. [Reuters]

The SCO groups China, Russia and four central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also has Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India as observers. The summit also saw participants from some international organizations.
"We should respect and support the interests and concerns of all SCO member countries, enhance coordination and cooperation in international and regional issues, and timely consult on measures to cope with major international and regional issues," Hu said to other SCO heads of state.

He called for better cooperation between law-enforcement and security departments, especially information exchanges so that the SCO members can raise their capability of joint anti-terrorism activities.

He proposed the formation of the convention to consolidate the foundation of political trust, unity and coordination among SCO member states, and ensure the lasting vigor of the organization.

On economic cooperation within the organization, Hu said the urgent job at present is to fulfill the documents and consensus reached among the member countries.

"We should improve the legal framework for regional economic cooperation, step up discussions on the signing of cooperation agreements in the fields of customs and transportation, and study the feasibility of forging a multilateral investment protection agreement," Hu said.

"We should carry out at an early date a number of economic and technological cooperation projects that will benefit all the parties involved, especially in the fields of energy, electricity, transportation and telecommunication," said the Chinese president.

He also called for efforts to display the role of the SCO banks consortium and promote its cooperation with other international financial institutions, so that it could give multi-channel financial support for regional economic cooperation.

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