Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a six-point proposal for enhancing practical cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at a meeting held in Dushanbe Thursday.

Addressing the ninth SCO prime ministers' meeting, Wen said that the SCO countries should rely on collective powers to better safeguard regional peace and stability and promote a comprehensive and balanced economic, social and cultural development.

This is not only in the interests of all member states, but also help make the SCO more united and appealing to others, he said.

The Chinese premier said that safeguarding regional security, stability and harmony is of vital importance in promoting the development of the SCO and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation among SCO members.

Thus, he called on the SCO nations to strengthen strategic coordination, boost mutual trust and coordinate actions and set up, step by step, a permanent and effective mechanism of safeguarding regional security and stability and to take joint actions and comprehensive measures to deal persistent, heavier and more effective blows to the "three evil forces" of extremism, separatism and terrorism as well as drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes.

First, Wen proposed that the SCO countries boost the vitality of economic and trade cooperation.

The SCO countries should stick to the principle of government guidance, encourage enterprises to expand cooperation according to market regulations and rely on science and technology in a bid to accelerate regional economic development, he said.

Secondly, Wen called for expanding energy cooperation.

"We should safeguard energy transportation security, jointly develop wind energy and solar energy and enhance the effective use of energy," he said.

Thirdly, Wen called for accelerating infrastructure construction such as highways, railways and information highways, to advance regional communication.

Fourthly, the SCO members countries should strengthen agricultural cooperation, Wen said, urging them to conduct research on establishing a SCO food security cooperation mechanism.

"China is willing to help other SCO member states set up high-tech agricultural demonstration areas," he said.

Fifthly, Wen called for deepening financial and monetary cooperation among the SCO member states, noting that they should expand business financing channels, conduct researches on establishing a SCO development bank, discuss new ways of joint financing and joint benefiting, and expand cooperation on local currency settlement.

Finally, the Chinese premier called for pushing forward capacity building and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The SCO countries should further improve the contingency mechanism for handling emergencies at border areas, he said.

"China is willing to train Chinese language and senior management staff for SCO member states and organize the first university students art festival for the SCO and launch communication and cooperation with SCO member states in traditional medicine," Wen said.

During the one-day meeting, the SCO prime ministers agreed to intensify the fight against the "three evil forces" to safeguard regional security and stability, enhance coordination in economic policy to promote trade investment facilitation and deepen cooperation in disaster relief, education and culture to promote sustainable development in the region.

The SCO prime ministers decided to hold their next meeting in Russia.

Founded in 2001, the SCO consists of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Also present at the gathering were delegates from SCO observers India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan, and the economic minister of Afghanistan as a guest of the host country.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2010)