Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 30 June 2023, Moscow hosted a presentation of the Russian National Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was created at the initiative of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly. This was reported by the press service of the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan.

The presentation was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, as well as diplomats of the SCO member states, observer states and SCO dialogue partners. Director of the SCO Public Diplomacy Center in Uzbekistan K. Sabirov also became a participant in the above event.

The activities of the National Center will undoubtedly help strengthen friendship and interaction among the general public of the SCO countries, help promote an objective image of Russia both within the space of the Organization and beyond. The Center fully relies on such basic SCO principles as openness, mutual trust, equality, non-direction against third countries, respect for cultural diversity and the desire for joint creative development. Its work will help strengthen friendly ties, mutual understanding and mutual respect between peoples, help in the development of cultural and civilizational diversity on the SCO platform.

In its practical activities, the Center will build horizontal links with similar structures operating in China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

An increasing number of countries are striving to establish ties with the SCO. At the upcoming July 4 meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization, full-fledged membership of Iran will be formalized and a memorandum of commitment by Belarus will be signed, which will also launch the procedure for its full-fledged accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Sergey Lavrov recalled that when creating the center, they used, among other things, the successful experience of functioning of similar structures in China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The minister assured that the Russian Foreign Ministry is interested in supporting and helping in every possible way the formation of a similar mechanism and a similar structure in Russia.