The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) hopes to forge ties with the ASEAN member states and ASEAN Secretariat, said SCO Secretary-General Dmitry Mezentsev while meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 2.

A meeting of SCO. Photo: dantri.com.vn

At the meeting, Minh underscored the importance of continued support from dialogue partners, friends and other external partners, including SCO member states, for the establishment of the ASEAN Community and its development in the next stage.

Mezentsev said the SCO looks forward to working closely with ASEAN, particularly in areas of common interest such as counter-terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

He also highlighted bilateral cooperation possibilities in economy, finance and environment.

The SCO was established in 2001. It was formerly known as Shanghai Five which was founded in 1996.

The organization comprises six members – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – and five observers – Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan. Its dialogue partners include Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Source: VNA