SCO to OK new program on fight against terrorism

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev participates in the 12th SCO Summit.

Kazakh leader arrived in Beijing with an official visit on Tuesday (June 5) to take part in the SCO top-level meeting.

President Nazarbayev had talks with his Chinese counterpart - leader of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao on Wednesday (June 6). They signed a range of bilateral documents. The same day Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Vice President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and Chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Wen Jiabao and took part in the opening ceremony o the SCO Summit.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional international organization for cooperation established in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The summit is expected to concentrate on the prospects of the SCO development in the context of current situation in the world and the region, expansion of financial and economic cooperation within the organization.

Upon completion of the top-level meeting the SCO leaders will sign the Declaration on building up peace and joint prosperity in the region.

The SCO Summit is to approve the basic guidelines of the SCO development strategy in the mid-term and SCO member countries' cooperation program in fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2013-2015 at today's session.

The heads of the SCO member states are to make the decision on granting Afghanistan the observer status under the SCO. Turkey is believed to gain the partner status under the organization. The participants of the SCO Summit will designate the SCO Secretary General and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS).

Kyrgyzstan is the next SCO member country to chair the organization.