The following is the full text of an article written by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mark the summit meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization:

The Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), the world's youngest international organization, is due to hold its fifth anniversary celebrations at a summit starting tomorrow.

On the eve of the Shanghai summit, I would like to express some views on the work of the SCO, its development prospects and its future tasks.

Since its creation in 2001, the rapid development of the SCO has made it an influential regional organization. The "SCO factor" has so far become an important element in maintaining stability in Europe and Asia, which reflects today's regional and international political realities.

It is by no means fortuitous that some countries and other international organizations have taken an increasing interest in this body.

Every one of us may still remember that the establishment of this regional organization was the result of hard work and enhanced mutual trust. There were a number of thorny problems to be solved at that time.

We can feel very proud of the steadfastness, persistence and patience shown by SCO member states. Through rounds of arduous talks, the parties concerned solved a number of border issues.

It is not an exaggeration to state that the achievements made in these border negotiations were unprecedented in Asia both in terms of the length of the boundaries in question and the number of countries involved.

As early as in the 1990s, when the "Shanghai Five," the predecessor of the SCO, still functioned, all member states were well aware of the importance of co-operation in dealing with new challenges. Peace and economic development in this vast region can only be ensured when efforts are made on the basis of multilateral co-operation.

Besides, international and regional developments also required immediate co-ordination between member states. Some Central Asian nations had already suffered at the hands of international terrorism, and terrorists were attempting to provoke more separatism, nationalism and religious extremism throughout the region.

The international community responded to the September 11 attacks by building an anti-terror coalition. This was a turning point in international politics.

SCO member states had already discussed the necessity of a joint crackdown on terrorism prior to this tragic event, and had already carried out practical work in this regard. As early as June 2001, SCO members took the lead in establishing a regional anti-terror body, making them a forerunner in this field.

We have effective means at our disposal to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.

The next step is that we should enhance co-operation in the fight against drug trafficking.

Maintaining regional stability has always been a priority for SCO members.

We have co-operated extensively in this regard. There is consensus among us about ensuring stability throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region.

We should first co-ordinate and strengthen our ties with other relevant regional organizations.

Greater co-operation and a strengthened partnership can help achieve common interests and avoid the unnecessary repetition of our work.

The SCO is not a closed and exclusive club whose lines of demarcation have been clearly drawn. At the Tashkent summit, the proposal for similar co-operation was raised and received a positive response from SCO members.

Here I also want to mention another field of SCO work its co-operation with observer states. So far, India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia have participated in the work of the SCO as observers. The body has also set up a liaison group with neighbouring Afghanistan.

We have accumulated experience in co-operation, which will undoubtedly help raise the profile of this regional body, which covers nearly half of the world's population.

Here I want to stress once again that the SCO has an open attitude towards talks and would like to make its contribution to world peace, stability and development.

The work of the SCO is not purely confined to political matters, economic issues are also growing in importance.

There exists huge potential for mutually beneficial co-operation in this field. Such co-operation will make a major contribution to improving the lives of people in all member states. It will also build Central Asia into one of the world's most developed regions.

In my opinion, a regional integration mechanism can give full play to the competitive advantages enjoyed by each of the SCO members in energy, resource supply and transportation. It will also help give them a competitive edge in terms of industry and technology.

There are also good prospects for co-operation between SCO member states' entrepreneurs and bankers.

On the sidelines of the upcoming SCO summit, a conference is due to be held to mark the establishment of an entrepreneurial committee. In addition, a centre is being established to assist co-ordination between businesspeople in different member states. We have pinned high hopes on the centre in terms of the arrangement of individual projects. A banking co-operation agreement was signed in Moscow last October, and the signatories should make contributions to above-mentioned work.

People-to-people links have also been strengthened between SCO member states. These scientific, cultural and youth exchanges will give added vigour to the SCO.

The peoples of the SCO member states have created unique civilizations, which have all contributed to the overall development of human civilization. This is a solid foundation for us to conduct co-operation.

In terms of cultural and academic exchanges, we have also accumulated rich experiences. A document on educational co-operation is currently being drafted. We should also expand members' co-operation in tourism and sports.

I believe that the parliaments of every member of the SCO play a crucial role in cementing co-operation. The first ever meeting of the heads of the parliaments of SCO members was held in Moscow in late May. In addition, the SCO recently established a forum to facilitate exchanges between experts from non-governmental organizations.

The true meaning of the "Shanghai Spirit" jointly created by us is becoming increasingly clear. With mutual trust, openness and transparency as the organization's basic principles, we have always pursued solutions to problems through consultations and without coercion. This, in fact, has become an integral goal of the SCO, and we hope it will become the key factor that attracts the international community.

At a time when the theory that the difference between cultures and civilizations is insurmountable resurges, the SCO has set a good example for the establishment of an equal partnership throughout Europe and Asia. Such a partnership is aimed at consolidating regional security and stability, advancing economic co-operation and promoting integration on the basis of preserving the cultural characteristics of member states.

The objectives set in Shanghai five years ago are now a reality. We have laid solid foundations for the SCO to enter a new stage and make more contributions to the resolution of global issues. The most significant is that all member states sincerely hope for unity and co-operation.

(China Daily 06/14/2006 page4)