ASTANA, July 5 (RIA Novosti) - The 10th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) opened Tuesday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. "We will appraise the current condition of the organization and outline its development prospects," Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in his opening speech.
The SCO has become "a competent organization with permanent bodies," Nazarbayev said. "Countering international terrorism and promoting economic cooperation" are the organization's key tasks.
The presidents of SCO member states - Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan - are taking part in the summit, while Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar was invited as an observer. The summit is being held at Nazarbayev's Akorda Palace.
After private talks, delegation members and Enkhbayar will join the SCO leaders. The summit is set to grant observer status to Iran, Pakistan and India today.
