Astana welcomes SCO Summit Participants

    Participating heads of state have arrived in Astana for the 10th anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
    Chinese President Hu Jintao is currently on an official visit to Kazakhstan after arriving in the country on Monday.
    On June 14^th, the Astana International Airport welcomed aircraft carrying Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, Tajik head of state Emomali Rakhmon, Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva, Pakistani leader Asif Ali Zardari, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar, and the Uzbek leader Islam Karimov.
    As of today, the SCO includes Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, India and Iran all hold observer status.
    The Summit is to commence on June 15^th.
    According to SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliyev, the results of the work done over the last 10 years and the organisation’s future strategy are to top the agenda for the Astana Summit, Caspionet said.