The Ministers in charge of foreign economic activity and foreign trade of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member-states will meet in Tashkent on 24 August.

At the meeting, the issues of preparation and holding of the meeting of Council of Heads of Governments of SCO member-states, which is going to take place in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan on 15 September, 2006, as well as realization of plan of measures on implementation of Program of multilateral trade and economic cooperation, will be considered.

The parties will discuss at the meeting also several other issues, including agreements on:

- implementation of the decisions of the heads of SCO member-states on further expansion of trade and economic cooperation in the framework of the organization;

- cooperation and mutual assistance in customs affairs;

- implementation of joint \"pilot\" projects;

- activization of the role of SCO Business Council and Interbank association during the process of realization of immediate \"pilot\" projects;

- creation of special work groups in the fuel and energy complex, and information and communication technologies;

- creation and maintenance of the regional economic website of the organization.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran hold the status of observers.