MOSCOW, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) helps improve regional and global governance, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said Monday.
He made the remark in an interview with Xinhua ahead of the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, which will be hosted on Tuesday via video link by Russia, which holds the rotating SCO presidency this year.
The upcoming meeting is of special significance and will be observed around the globe at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is raging and the world is undergoing profound changes, Zhang said.
The SCO, a new type of organization for regional cooperation that covers the largest area and population in the world, has withstood the test of changes in the international situation and completed a remarkable journey, he noted.
He said the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development, is conducive to building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
In recent years, cooperation among SCO member countries in the three pillar sectors -- security, economy and humanity -- has been gaining speed, while cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative has been growing substantively, Zhang said.
This year, the SCO members have helped each other during the pandemic, and the virus did not stop the general trend of closer cooperation between them, the Chinese envoy stressed.
Zhang made a four-point proposal for the SCO to deal with risks and challenges more effectively, build a closer community with a shared future and contribute more to global stability and development.
Firstly, the SCO countries should beef up cooperation in public health governance, infectious disease information-sharing, drug and vaccine development, bio-security and traditional medicines.
Secondly, the SCO members should further cement political mutual trust, firmly support each other's core interests, and enhance security cooperation, since the "three forces," namely terrorism, separatism and extremism, and some external forces pose a grave threat to the socio-economic development and even political stability of SCO countries.
Thirdly, the SCO members should continue to facilitate trade and investment, raise the level of inter-connectivity, speed up Belt and Road cooperation and dovetail their development strategies, Zhang said, adding that China is ready to share new business opportunities with other countries.
Fourthly, the SCO members should strengthen coordination on multilateral issues, jointly work with other regional and global organizations, oppose bullying and selfishness, categorically uphold multilateralism and push for the establishment of a fairer and more reasonable regional and international governance system. Enditem