Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- UN Secretary General Antoni Guterres sent a letter to the SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov, in which he praised the ties between the UN and the SCO, and also welcomed the SCO’s readiness to expand mutual relations with a universal international organization and its specialized agencies.

Noting the efforts of the SCO member states in the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection, Antoni Guterres emphasized the importance of joint work of the international community in a spirit of solidarity in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 and its devastating consequences.

The UN Secretary-General expressed the hope that the call for an immediate ceasefire in all corners of the world will find support for a further end to wars, the achievement of long-term political solutions and the creation of a sustainable peace.

Guterres spoke positively about the role of the SCO in solving problems of ensuring peace and stability in the region. In his opinion, the Organization is a reliable partner of the UN and leads regional diplomacy, actively promotes cooperation in order to solve the most acute security problems facing Eurasia - in particular, the fight against xenophobia, incitement to hatred and extremism.

The UN Secretary General also noted that after the signing of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation on 5 April 2010, the Secretariats of the two organizations are working to expand cooperation, including through the implementation of joint initiatives.

The SCO’s work on enhancing the role of women and youth in society was highly appreciated. A. Guterres emphasized the importance of developing this area of the Organization’s activities, believing that their participation in the restructuring of the world after the outbreak of the epidemic will become even more relevant.

In conclusion, the UN Secretary General expressed appreciation for the coordination of efforts between the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to combat the spread of the virus, noting the importance of concrete steps to strengthen cooperation and mutual support between the two organizations.

The SCO has been an observer in the UN General Assembly since 2005.