DUSHANBE, July 8, 2015, Asia-Plus – Tajik President Emomali Rahmon today morning left for Ufa, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan to attend a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State that will take place there from July 9-10.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov, Presidential Adviser on Foreign Policy Issues Erkinkhon Rahmatullozoda, President Adviser on Social Development and Public Relations Abdujabbor Rahmonzoda, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Population Sumangul Taghoyzoda and some other officials are accompanying Rahmon on his visit to Ufa.        

Founded by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization.  Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.

The Organization currently has six full members -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are five observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The Organization’s six full members account for 60% of the land mass of Eurasia and its population is a quarter of the world''s population.  With observer states included, its affiliates account for about half of the world''s population.