DUSHANBE, July 25, 2008, Asia-Plus — A regular meeting of the council of foreign ministers of member nations is opening in the governmental out-of-town residence Pugus in the Varzob district.
The meeting will be held in two stages: the SCO foreign ministers will meet in a narrow format, then the ministers from the SCO observer nations and guests will join the meeting in an enlarged format.
The SCO foreign ministers will focus on the preparations for a SCO summit due in Dushanbe on August 28. The SCO foreign ministers will also discuss topical world problems, the situation in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The SCO foreign ministers may also discuss a possible lift of the moratorium on admission of new members to the organization that was introduced two years ago. If unanimous decision is taken for possible SCO expansion, the sides will begin drafting a corresponding procedure on this issue.
In Dushanbe, the ministers will discuss possible cooperation of the SCO states with the nonaffiliated SCO states. They will consider a progress of implementation of the Tashkent 2004 initiative on creation of a partnership network of multilateral associations in the Asian and Pacific region.
The SCO foreign ministers’ session is planned to consider draft regulations on the status of partnership on the SCO dialogue that will be submitted for approval to the SCO summit.
The ministers will give a joint press conference.
