SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming had a video conference meeting with ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. The meeting focused on the possibilities of increasing exchanges between the SCO and ESCAP, based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organisations’ secretariats in 2008, according to SCO Secretariat here. Zhang Ming emphasized ESCAP’s role as a key partner of the SCO in the Asia-Pacific region — cooperation with which fits into the SCO agenda — and expressed his intention too make their cooperation more practical. In turn, Armida Salsiah stressed the increasing role of the SCO in the region and ESCAP’s interest in intensifying its contacts with the Organization. The parties discussed the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding between the secretariats of the two organisations for the next period, as well as the issues to be discussed at the forthcoming 78th session of ESCAP. They also confirmed the need for continuous dialogue.