Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov on Thursday called for further close attention and joint work to combat existing global problems, such as terrorism, cyber threats and international crime. Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Japarov noted the importance of the presented initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic to create a Center for Countering International Organized Crime in Bishkek. Japarov called for further work to reduce trade barriers throughout the SCO to create an open economy and strengthen the multilateral trade system, noting the need to create a special institution for financing projects, such as the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Fund. He added that the adoption of the SCO decision on mechanisms of financial support of the SCO projects will allow the Council of Heads of Government to carry out appropriate work on implementation of one of the main issues of the economic agenda of the SCO. He added that digital technologies would play a significant role in the promotion of trade relations to simplify trade procedures in the future. For his part, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed his country's support for the proposal to establish an SCO development fund to advance development initiatives. He also affirmed his country's commitment to achieving the organization's goals of peace and prosperity, and urged member states to exert collective efforts to combat terrorism, alleviate poverty and resolve conflicts, especially the ongoing Israeli attacks in Palestine. In his speech during the summit, Shahbaz Sharif highlighted various current regional and international issues, including terrorism, extremism, Islamophobia, poverty and climate change. Regarding the Afghan file, the Pakistani Prime Minister urged the international community to work constructively with the Afghan caretaker government to help meet its economic needs. On the situation in the Gaza Strip, Shahbaz Sharif asked the SCO to condemn the ongoing Israeli aggression against innoc ent Palestinians, and to demand an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital. In turn, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko thanked the SCO for his country accession as a full member, stressing Minsk's readiness to cooperate with China (the new chairman of the SCO) to implement a number of important projects. Lukashenko called on the SCO members to take the initiative to build a truly indivisible global security, and stressed that the projects reached by the SCO partners in the fields of energy, transport, logistics, finance and industrial cooperation will bring great benefits to the SCO member states and beyond. President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan praised the SCO's growing role as an influential international bloc that plays a clear role in the international arena and plays an influential role in maintaining security and stab ility in the region. He said that the organization is responsible for developing its economies and expanding the circle of cultural and civilizational dialogue. He also presented his country's vision for promoting multilateral cooperation within the organization, which is represented in strengthening political dialogue, joint cooperation in the field of business and trade, and increasing investments, especially in the fields of innovations and artificial intelligence. Source: Qatar News Agency