On the Russian Presidency of the SCO

One of Russia’s foreign policy priorities in the Asian-Pacific region is to strengthen interaction with partners and promote integration within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Russia has been working to ensure stability and security, fight new threats and respond to challenges, and promote economic and cultural cooperation.
In accordance with the SCO rules, each member country presides in the organization for a year between SCO summits. Russia will take over the rotating chair in 2008-2009. The Organizing Committee set up by presidential Instruction 173-rp, dated April 13, 2007, is supervising preparations for its Presidency.
The regulations on the committee stipulate its duty as coordinating the work of the federal executive authorities, including monitoring the use of funds allocated for fulfilling the plan of the Russian Presidency approved by the Russian president on December 24, 2007.
The key event of the Russian SCO Presidency will be the meeting of the SCO heads of state in Yekaterinburg, in the Urals, in summer 2009.
Other events include conferences of parliament speakers, secretaries of security councils, and foreign, defense, education and other ministers, as well as the Peace Rose cultural forum, culture and film festivals, youth meetings, a children’s chess tournament, and exhibitions.