Putin calls for the elimination of forces that provoke war

Russian President Vladimir Putin used a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek to call for action against forces he said provoke armed conflicts.

"We must do everything we can to eliminate the forces that provoke armed conflicts. Our work is directed toward this," Putin said, according to the Kremlin. He also described the SCO as the largest regional organisation in practice, saying its member states account for nearly half of the world’s population and one-third of global gross domestic product.

Putin said the organisation continued to strengthen and expand, while its members developed cooperation in various fields. He presented that cooperation as contributing to peace and stability in Eurasia.

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The SCO is, in practice, the largest regional organisation not only on the Eurasian continent but also in the world. Nearly half of the world's population lives in its member states. One-third of global gross domestic product belongs to these countries.

He said Russia’s trade with SCO countries had exceeded $400 billion last year. More than 98% of Russia’s transactions with member states, he added, used national currencies for mutual payments.

Putin also said Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan was ready to host the Nomad Games next year and announced that Russia would hold the International Forum of United Cultures. He referred to September 1, 1939, as the date World War II began before making his appeal on armed conflicts.

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We must do everything we can to eliminate the forces that provoke armed conflicts. Our work is directed toward this.