Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong met the visiting secretary-general of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Dmitry Fedorovich Mezentsev, last Thursday.
Yang said Shanghai is the birthplace of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the city gives top priority to exchanges and cooperation among SCO member countries. Shanghai is also the sister city of some cities in these countries, such as St. Petersburg of Russia.
He noted the fruitful cooperation between Shanghai and its sister cities in economy, culture, education and urban construction and said Shanghai wants to strengthen such exchanges and cooperation. The "One Belt, One Road" initiative creates new opportunities for SCO countries.
Mezentsev briefed the mayor on recent developments in SCO affairs and said the organization feels a special connection with the city of Shanghai and will promote exchanges and cooperation between member states and the city of Shanghai.
Advisor to the secretary-general Wang Kaiwen joined the meeting.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It now has five observer states and three dialogue partners.