Protectionist measures, illegal unilateral sanctions, political blackmail, and countermeasures against unfair competition were among the items on the agenda of today's meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Olga Armyakova reports from Dushanbe.
Next to a green park and loud fountains, there's a red carpet and an honor guard. The meeting in Dushanbe of the SCO's eight member states' heads of government was meticulously planned. This footage of a brief, formal greeting shows the Russian prime minister receiving a warm welcome from Tajikistan's leader. The event began in a wooden office and moved on to a room full of mirrors, where the SCO's member states' heads of the governments held their meeting.
Every element of the Istiqlol Hall, Tajik for "Independence Hall", has an oriental flair to it. An extended meeting of the delegation heads will be held here. The final preparations are underway. A number of agreements are expected to be signed at the end of the meeting. A protocol officer is currently reviewing all of the documents.
The delegations are carefully preparing for the meeting. On each chair reserved for the Chinese delegation, there's a neat yellow piece of paper stating a name of a delegation member in Chinese. The white desks are well-organized. The Russian prime minister brought a notebook with the Russian coat of arms on it. A foot holder has been prepared for the Indian foreign minister. By tradition, a group photo was taken and the talks began.
Dmitry Medvedev: "The conditions we're working in remain complicated and can hardly be called comfortable. The system of strategic stability faces serious challenges. In order to maintain their dominant positions, some states are using unfair competition, introducing protectionist measures and illegal unilateral sanctions, which occasionally evolve into political blackmail. Such attacks are mainly directed against Russia and China, the key members of the SCO, as well as Iran, our long-standing partner".
Both Russia and China are under intense pressure from the United States. China and the US are on the brink of a trade war. The quickly-growing Chinese economy is looking for new resources, which means that the mutually beneficial cooperation within the SCO needs to be expanded.
Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of China: "According to a Tajik saying, "One cannot carry two watermelons with one hand". Similarly, we Chinese believe that "one hand cannot clap". We must join our efforts. I'm confident that the Shanghai spirit will create a bright future for the SCO".
Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization accounts for nearly half of the world's population, covering a quarter of its landmass. By the time traditional Tajik tea was served, the politicians were already discussing security, transportation infrastructure, and the possibility of switching to national currencies.
The implementation of the agreements signed in Dushanbe will begin over the next few days.
Olga Armyakova, Ilya Nalyotov, Andrei Urchuk, and Margarita Aboyan, Vesti, Dushanbe.
