Presidents of all SCO members to attend summit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-12 15:26
China on Thursday confirmed that presidents of all the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) member states will attend the organization's summit slated
for June 15 in Shanghai.
Presidents of Mongolia, Pakistan and Iran, three SCO observers, will also
attend the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news
briefing.
On the sidelines of the summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao will hold
bilateral meetings with presidents of the SCO members and observers, including
Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Liu said.
The spokesman said China had discussed Iran's nuclear issue with the country
in the past and will continue to do so in the future to improve mutual
understanding.
"China will continue to make positive efforts to help peacefully solve the
Iran nuclear issue through negotiations," Liusaid when asked whether the nuclear
issue will be raised at the meeting between Hu and Ahmadinejad.
India, another SCO observer, will send its Minister of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Murli Deora to the summit, Liu said.
Liu also confirmed that Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Executive Secretary
Vladimir Rushailo of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Deputy
Secretary-General Wilfrido. V. Villacorta of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations will attend the summit as guests.
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