DUSHANBE - More than 500 local and foreign journalists have been accredited to cover the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, Deputy Foreign Minister Parviz Davlatzoda said Friday.

The summit, scheduled for Sept.11-12, will turn Dushanbe into a "geopolitical center of the world," Davlatzoda said at a roundtable seminar.

Meetings of Interbank Associations, the Business Council and the Business Forum are expected to be held on the sidelines of the summit.

Moreover, artists of all SCO member countries will introduce their national culture and history to forum participants. Tajik artists will perform a gala concert "Evening of Friendship" during the summit.