In addition, the SCO leaders intend to exchange views on key global and regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Regarding the expectations of the SCO summit, professor at the Institute of International Relations, Yang Mian, told Sputnik, “Meetings between heads of states have become a very mature mechanism. The SCO summit is held alternately in the SCO member states where the heads of states hold consultations on major international and regional issues.”
Mian further said that currently, the SCO is expanding; there has been a proposal from a number of states which hope to become new observers or members of the SCO countries. This suggests that the authority of the SCO is constantly growing,” Professor Yang Mian said.
The expert highlighted that SCO would pay special attention to the development of the Chinese initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt and promote countries to get involved in fight against terrorism.
According to Mian Yang, the fight against terrorism has always been an important aspect in the work of the SCO.
In its initial period of existence of the SCO’s main objective was to "fight against three evils — terrorism, separatism and extremism."
“SCO set up its own anti-terrorist structure and carried out antiterrorist exercises many times, which played an important role in containing the forces of the ‘three evils’ in different countries.”
The SCO plays a vital role in the exchange of intelligence information, joint actions of the participating countries in counter-terrorism, training, arming and preparing anti-terrorist units,” Mian said.
The expert further noted that anti-terrorist activities will continue to be an important task of the SCO.
