China became SCO chairman

On June 15, 2011 China became a chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Tengrinews.kz reports from the meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO member-states in Astana. Kazakhstan chaired the Organization before this date (starting from June 12, 2010). President of China announced goals of the Beijing’s chairmanship in the SCO. Hu Jintao emphasized that China will continue concessional lending to the countries. Other objectives include enhancement of security in the region, improvement of cooperation, countering terrorism and drug trafficking, expansion of trade (here Hu Jintao stressed transport and communications), taking measures to ensure financial and food security, strengthening of humanitarian and educational cooperation, and ties among people of the SCO member-countries. On June 15, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke about “five good deeds of the SCO” that include creation of a council for settling regional conflicts, establising an integrated Eurasian system of pipelines and power grids. The third call was to implement a new mechanism of close economic cooperation, which requires creation of a development fund for further financing of joint projects. Nazarbayev also called to adoption of a new SCO water and food commission. The fifth point in the list of his suggestions to the SCO member-states was dedicated to creation of the emergency situations center and prognostics institute.