On June 15, 2001, the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established in Shanghai by
the heads of state of the six countries of China, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzatan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan on the
basis of the original “Shanghai Five,” signifying the birth of
a new regional cooperation organization aiming to seek
security through mutual trust and to seek cooperation through
mutual benefit. The purpose of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization is to strengthen the mutual trust and good
neighborly friendship between the member countries; encourage
their effective cooperation in political, economic, trade,
sci-tech, cultural, educational, energy, communications,
environmental protection and other fields; devote jointly to
maintaining and safeguarding regional peace, security and
stability; and establish a democratic, fair and rational
international political and economic new order. The heads of
state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member
countries will meet formally once a year and their heads of
government will also meet regularly, in the member countries
by turns.
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