SAMARKAND, 16 September (BelTA) – In terms of economy the Shanghai Cooperation Organization should prioritize transit and transport, food and energy security, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said as he addressed a meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in Samarkand on 16 September, BelTA has learned.
"I would like to dwell on, in my opinion, the priority areas of economic cooperation: the transit and transport sector, food and energy security. We welcome promising projects aimed at ensuring the interconnectedness of the countries of our region. We support efforts to expand transport routes between Central and South Asia, the development of trans-Eurasian corridors North-South and East-West," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
Kazakhstan, according to him, stands for the creation of new and modernization of existing multimodal transport corridors and logistics centers.
The president of Kazakhstan also noted that the SCO countries are the largest agricultural producers and exporters in the world. "We should stimulate trade in agricultural products both within the SCO region and beyond," he said. "The participation of our states in ensuring the smooth functioning of international food production and supply chains will contribute towards stability in the global food market."
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke in favor of developing an energy strategy in the SCO to ensure global and regional balance. "We consider it relevant to adopt a program of cooperation in renewable energy," he added.
