 |
| Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) |
By Dirk van der Kley
Despite a strong speech from Li Keqiang, practical cooperation within the organization remains elusive.
China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited Uzbekistan on November 28 and 29 for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Prime Minister’s Meeting. Li spoke at the meeting about the need for practical cooperation between SCO members. However, as with many previous gatherings, serious multilateral cooperation between members (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) proved elusive.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the inability of members to sign an agreement on international road transport facilitation. Prior to the meeting, a senior Chinese official had been rather bullish about the prospects for a deal. However, the signing did not take place because a member state failed to have the documents ready, according to Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoev. After the meeting the prime ministers released a joint declaration stating that the road transport agreement is a priority. It should be noted that negotiations on this agreement have already dragged on for nine years.
Read the full story at The Diplomat