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At an expanded meeting, the heads of six states – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – signed a declaration on the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The purposes of the new organisation, according to the Declaration, were: strengthening mutual trust and good-neighbourly friendship among the member-states; encouraging effective cooperation among them in the political, economic and trade, scientific and technological, cultural, educational, energy, communications, environmental and other fields. The document stressed the importance of joint efforts to preserve and safeguard regional peace, security and stability, and establish a democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Declaration said, did not target any other country or region and was open to the outside.

The member-countries also signed the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, and agreed to set up a regional anti-terrorist centre in Bishkek. The Convention provided for an exchange of information, operational searches, and practical assistance in suppressing terrorist activities in one another’s territories.

Ministers accompanying the heads of state took part in the expanded meeting.

Addressing the summit before the signing ceremony, Mr Putin said that from the very start the SCO would have to organise active and effective steps to counter international terrorism, national separatism, and religious extremism, the illicit trafficking in narcotics and gun-running. Mr Putin also described coordination of economic efforts as one of the main areas of cooperation between the member-countries.

Following the summit, Mr Putin issued a statement, stressing that the main event of the meeting was the establishment of a new organisation whose motto was “security through cooperation”.

At the end of the meeting, President Putin held a news conference for journalists.