MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a new model of geopolitical integration, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko said in an article, published by the daily newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta Wednesday.
"The organization comprises almost two-thirds of Eurasia, having integrated countries with different origins of civilization. Such an immensity, a variety of interests, - trans-regional and multi-civilization character of the organization have no analogue in the history. SCO's indisputable innovation is a guarantee of its existence in future," he said.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan have observer status.
A plan to fulfill the Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation, signed by SCO member-state government heads in 2004, targets cooperation in education, science and technology.
"This means SCO members have set ambitious and innovative tasks for the organizations," Yakovenko said.
SCO members are also seeking mutually beneficial cooperation in energy and transportation.
"There is a perspective for joint resource development in Central Asia given joint geological explorations," Yakovenko said, pointing to planned pipeline projects, including construction of pipelines from Central Asia to China's Xinjiang Uygyr Autonomous Region and from Russia to China.
According to Yakovenko, the United States is jealous to some extent of SCO projects and is seeking to participate in SCO projects, including by buying stocks.
The SCO intends to create a common transportation space.
"Strategic importance of new transportation corridors, which would provide for completely new vectors of regional economic policy, is obvious," Yakovenko said.
