Putin calls for boosting trade ties among SCO members

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called for increasing the momentum of trade and investment among the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Putin's official statement, released after the SCO summit came to an end, said that the SCO members were increasingly taking such steps to facilitate simplification of trade and economic cooperation.

"We are simplifying the mutual availability of goods and services, improving customs regulations, eliminating unnecessary administrative barriers, and implementing joint projects in energy, transport and agriculture," Putin said.

He then mentioned the first-ever meeting between the heads of the SCO member states, and a joint forum on small business practiced in the SCO and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to be held in Russia.

Putin further mentioned that the term of current Secretary General of the SCO, Rashid Alimov, and Director of the Executive Committee of the RATS Yevgeny Sysoyev would end in 2019.

Another decision taken in the 2018 SCO summit was that Tajikistan would take over the annual presidency of the SCO and would look after the preparations for next year's summit.