Member states of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) will strengthen their co-operation with observer countries, including Pakistan, in fighting terrorism, reports Chinese media quoting official sources.
The stage of active practical co-operation has begun in economy and other fields, including stability and security, primarily the fight against terrorism.
The SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan, India, Iran and Mongolia are observers in the group.
"Representatives of the four (observer) countries expressed their interest in co-operation, including anti-terrorist direction, economy and energy, at the recently held SCO prime ministers' meeting.
According to the sources, the mechanism for effective involvement of observers in multilateral projects is being worked out. On possible addition of more observers, the sources said the quality of co-operation, not the number of observers, matters most.
"The SCO has a whole range of forms of dialogue with various countries and groups that are agreed on with partners and determined by the real needs of the sides.
Meanwhile member states of the SCO carried out a joint anti-terror manoeuvre in Uzbekistan early this month, said the executive committee of the organisation's anti-terror branch.
The exercise was aimed at improving the co-operation between relevant sectors of member states in tracking down and fighting against terrorists, so as to prevent terrorists from disrupting the political and social stability of Central Asian countries through mass attacks on major state infrastructure.