ALMA ATA -- The status of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on regional and world arena is rising continuously with its achievements, vigor and vitality, a senior Tajik scholar said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, M. Olimov, director of the Institute of Oriental Study, said that the SCO is playing a more and more important role in economic cooperation among member states and the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism.

The SCO has broad prospects and carries heavy weight on the international arena as it groups China and Russia, two influential world powers, and all the Central Asian countries except Turkmenistan, said Olimov.

The SCO has created favorable conditions for direct dialogue and cooperation in various fields on bilateral and multilateral basis between China and Tajikistan, he said.

The SCO, established in Shanghai five years ago, consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Pakistan, India, Iran, Mongolia as observers.

The sixth annual summit will be held in Shanghai on Thursday.