NEW DELHI, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an important multilateral organization that promotes regional peace and prosperity, an Indian expert said.
The 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO was hosted via video link by Russia on Tuesday.
"Because of the COVID-19 crisis, this year the SCO is having its meeting in a virtual format. Nevertheless, the importance is as high as before," said Sudheendra Kulkarni, former chairman of the Mumbai-based think-tank Observer Research Foundation, in a recent interview with Xinhua.
The SCO's endeavour is to ensure that Asia becomes a continent of peace, prosperity and stability, and contributes to improving the current global order, according to him.
No country is totally shieled from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, said Kulkarni, noting that in an era of globalization, all the countries should come together to find answers to the big problems.
"It's for this reason that the SCO member states come on a single platform, they recommit to their resolve, to stay engaged and recommit to follow the path of dialogue, and to promote cooperation and minimize differences."
In terms of economic cooperation and security among nations, Kulkarni noted the two aspects are interlinked and go hand in hand. "When there is better economic cooperation among nations, there is greater interdependence, and when there is greater interdependence there is security." Enditem
