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SCO is not ``oriental NATO"

BEIJING: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is not an ``oriental NATO,'' said the chief of the regional group on Tuesday.

``The reports calling the SCO an `oriental NATO' are totally groundless,'' SCO Secretary-General Zhang Deguang told reporters at a press briefing in Beijing on the coming Shanghai summit, scheduled for June 15.

The organisation, established in Shanghai in 2001, comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India were granted observer status in 2004.

``The upcoming summit is an official and decision-making meeting as well as a celebration marking the fifth anniversary of the SCO's founding,'' Mr. Zhang said.

During the summit, the heads of state of the member countries will review the SCO's achievements over the past five years, summarise related experiences and map out the goals for future cooperation in various fields, Mr. Zhang said. The heads of state will also exchange views on international and regional issues, Mr. Zhang said.

The major achievement of the summit will be a five-year SCO declaration. Documents on the organisation's construction, secretariat and personnel would also be released. — Xinhua

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