BISHKEK -- The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries have signed a joint declaration at their summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, calling for greater cooperation among member countries and reaffirming their intent to ensure security for their region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and the leaders of other SCO member states -- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan -- were among those in attendance for the summit on June 14.
Ahead of the summit, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov had said talks would focus on expanding cooperation within the SCO on security, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, economic development, industry, and humanitarian cooperation.
Russia will now take over the SCO chairmanship. The parties have agreed to hold the next summit in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on July 22-23, 2020.
Following the SCO summit, Putin, Xi, Central Asian leaders, and senior officials from dozens of other countries are scheduled to convene on June 15 in neighboring Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
With reporting by MIR and TASS
