On Nov. 7, 2011, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council, who was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Prime Ministers' Meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, suggested at the meeting that the SCO member states strengthen cooperation in economy & trade, finance, interconnection, energy, agriculture, science & technology and other fields.

While attending the large-scale meeting for all the participants of the SCO Prime Ministers' Meeting, Premier Wen indicated that the SCO played an important role in combating the "three forces" and strengthening relations between member states, which laid a foundation for future development. The SCO should also respond to challenges and seize opportunities for development. Wen proposed that member states should strengthen cooperation in economy & trade, finance, interconnection, energy, agriculture, science & technology and other fields and at the same time should promote youth exchanges and strengthen cooperation with observer countries.

Wen said that the cooperation of the SCO in the first decade of this century laid a solid foundation for the development of the organization for the second decade. The SCO now should seize opportunities for development. China is willing to work with related countries to strengthen cooperation in various fields. The development of SCO will contribute to peace and stability of the region and the world.

Premier Wen arrived in St. Petersburg on the afternoon of Nov. 6 local time to attend the Tenth Prime Ministers' Meeting of the SCO Member States. On the morning of Nov. 7, Premier Wen had meetings with the prime ministers of Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai and the member states included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In September 2001, the prime ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held their first meeting in Almaty and announced the formal establishment of a regular prime ministers' meeting mechanism within the framework of the SCO.