Experts say Xi's speech at Dushanbe summit to invigorate SCO development

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday addressed the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), calling for building a closer SCO community with a shared future.

Foreign observers and scholars commented that Xi's remarks, delivered via video link at the summit in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, were encouraging and his proposals will help the organization embark on a new journey and make greater contributions to world peace and common prosperity.

"That President Xi called on the SCO members to stay true to the Shanghai Spirit is very important," said Pakistani Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary.

The spirit, he added, is the comprehensive base of the organization and can promote peace, stability and the SCO's influence if followed properly.

B. R. Deepak, a professor and sinologist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, noted that Xi reviewed the SCO's achievements over the past 20 years and emphasized the role of the Shanghai Spirit in building an SCO community with a shared future.

In the last 20 years, the SCO "has proved to be an excellent example of multilateralism in the 21st century," and "has played an important role in enhancing the voice of developing countries in global institutions and forums," he said.

Multilateralism is a key word in Xi's speech, said Hamed Vafaei, director of the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Tehran, echoing Xi's emphasis on the role of multilateralism in the world's future development.

Within the framework of the SCO, a multilateral organization, countries can plan for the future, and China can help other SCO members put forward new development perspectives in this new historical environment, he added.

He also expressed his hope that a better world in the future will provide a better living environment for the people of all countries.