Delegates from the “Shanghai Five” nations have gathered in Beijing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of a trust treaty.

The “Shanghai Five” nations, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, signed the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions in Shanghai in 1996.

Another treaty regarding the reduction of military presence in border regions was also signed later. Delegates agreed that both treaties have been playing a significant role towards the peace, stability and development of Euro-Asia.

In June 2001, members of the group renamed themselves as “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” after the inclusion of Uzbekistan. Envoys from the member countries said this proved to be a successful model for security cooperation.

“We wanted to create a model to ensure our regional security and stability. Now, after 20 years, that’s precisely what we have done. We now have a tool to solve issues concerning security and stability,” said Tomikhin Evgeny, special envoy of Russian Foreign Ministry.

“This ‘Shanghai Spirit’ that we speak of refers to a mutual trust and respect for cultural differences, and the seeking of a common development and cooperation. These are our fundamental principals. I think these are very important factors in maintaining international relations. If every country follows such ideals when interacting each other, I think we would have a better world,” said Wang Kaiwen, SCO deputy secretary-general.