SCO Secretary-general Vladimir Norov addresses the press conference. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-general Vladimir Norov addressed a press conference ahead of the Tashkent meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) on Wednesday in Beijing, and updated the preparation and arrangement of the meeting that will take place in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on November 1 and 2.  

The meeting is expected to be graced by the prime ministers of all the SCO countries. According to Norov, the CHG meeting is expected to include a discussion on the prospects and measures of intensifying cooperation between the SCO member states in trade, economic and investment areas, as well as an exchange of views on a wide range of global and regional economic issues. 

Besides, the reporting of activities of the SCO Interbank Consortium in 2018 and 2019, and some significant documents are set to be signed during the scheduled meeting, Norov added. 

During this press briefing, Norov also reiterated SCO's stance on some latest issues including international trade. "The SCO countries favor the consistent strengthening of an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory multilateral trade system based on the rules of the World Trade Organization. Regrettably, the WTO is facing real threats caused by problems of instability and trade disputes," Norov said, adding that one of the priorities of the upcoming meeting is to search for joint solutions aimed at intensifying the multilateral trade, economic, and investment cooperation between the SCO member states.