On 17 June 2004 meeting of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member States was held in Tashkent. The meeting was chaired by Mr.Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. N.Nazarbayev, President of the People?s Republic of China Mr.Hu Jintao, President of Kyrgyz Republic Mr.A.Akayev, President of the Russian Federation Mr.V.Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Mr.E.Rakhmonov, SCO Executive Secretary Mr. Zhang Deguang and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Mr.V.Kasimov took part in the session. Head of the Interim Government of Afghanistan Mr.H.Karzai and the Special Representative of Mongolian President, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr.Luvsangiin Erdenechuluun attended the Summit.

Heads of States discussed issues of further deepening comprehensive cooperation within the Organization, exchanged views on important international topics and signed a number of documents.

Presidents participated in the opening of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Counter Terrorism Structure in Tashkent. The ceremony was attended by representatives of various International Organisations such as UN, OSCE, CIS Executive Committee, CIS Counter Terrorism Centre and others.

Leaders stated that the task of institutionalization of the Organisation had been successfully completed thus establishing all necessary conditions to advance full-scale cooperation between the SCO member States.

The Summit stressed the importance of combining common efforts to counter new challenges and threats, in particular, terrorism, extremism, separatism and illicit drugs trafficking.

The participants have also achieved common view to foster cooperation in trade, transportation, environmental protection and etc.

Leaders welcomed the participation of Afghan President Mr.Hamid Karzai in the meeting and revealed shared outlook on necessity to strengthen efforts to contribute to political stability in Afghanistan and its economic reconstruction.

Leaders signed the final political document ? the Tashkent Declaration. The document foresees the measures for further development of cooperation within the SCO, and includes appeal to International Organisations and Forums in the Asia and Pacific region to embark on creating a collective regional security and cooperation system.

A number of documents were signed during the meeting including an Agreement between the SCO Member States on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Flow of Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors, Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the SCO. The regulations concerning Observer Status at the SCO were also confirmed. On the appeal of Mongolian President Mr. N.Bagabandi Mongolia was accepted to the SCO as an observer.

Taking into account the proposal of the SCO Secretariat the Council of Heads of States decided to mark June 15 as a SCO Day (the same day in 2001 the Declaration on establishment of SCO was signed in Shanghai).

Several documents regulating the interaction between the SCO member States, including the Protocol on Cooperation and Coordination among Ministries of Foreign Affairs were signed during the meeting.

Next meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO States will be held in Astana (Kazakhstan) in 2005.