A United Position

Partnership with leading international and regional organizations is one of central priorities of SCO

The activity of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), particularly in countering terrorism, radical extremism, separatism, drugs trafficking and organized crime has not only regional but also global significance. In this regard, during the June 2004 Tashkent SCO summit, the Group turned to international and regional organizations to proceed with a gradual establishment of partnership network of multilateral associations.

A number of countries and international associations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed their readiness to cooperate with the SCO.

According to experts, there is a prospect for cooperation between SCO and ASEAN, primarily, due to the fact that these organizations adhere to common positions on many regional and global issues.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariats of the SCO and ASEAN signed in April 2005 in Jakarta, combating terrorism and transnational crime, drug smuggling and arms trafficking, money laundering and illegal migration have become cooperation priorities. The parties also agreed to cooperate in such fields as economy, finance, energy, especially hydropower and bio-fuel, tourism, environment and natural resources.

In November 2008, Beijing held a meeting at the level of Secretaries General of the SCO and ASEAN, in which the mutual intention to maintain regular contact on the basis of the Memorandum was confirmed.

It should be noted that one of the SCO-ASEAN cooperation’s key areas is ensuring regional security. As one can know, ASEAN serves as an effective mechanism for discussing and addressing global challenges and threats in the Southeast Asia.

In this regard, the experts stressed that the anti-terrorist line that has become a priority in the activities of SCO has some similarities with ASEAN’s.

Given that member states of the SCO and ASEAN associate geographical proximity and common goals in the Asia-Pacific there is a growing interest in establishing mutually beneficial cooperation in such fields as economy, transport, culture and tourism.

Enhancing cooperation will promote establishment of investment cooperation, including information exchange on overcoming the consequences of global recession, as well as contacts between representatives of business and the implementation of joint projects.

At present, SCO-ASEAN interaction is carried out through exchange of information and expertise between the secretariats, consultation of experts.