During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for establishing a sustainable dialogue between the IICA and the SCO Center, as well as opportunities for regular exchanges of views on key issues of practical cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Azamat Toshev noted that strengthening ties with one of the SCO’s leading educational institutions is in line with the IICA’s commitment to expanding professional contacts with the Chinese academic community and creating new platforms for substantive discussions on developments taking place in Central Asia.

For his part, Li Ligan emphasized the SCO Center’s growing interest in Central Asia and expressed readiness to explore practical formats of cooperation with the IICA within the framework of further expert dialogue.

It was also noted that interest in the ongoing transformations in Central Asia is steadily increasing among China’s research and expert communities.

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in maintaining contacts and further developing cooperation between the two institutions.

The China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation was established at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law in accordance with an initiative proposed by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping at the Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States held in Bishkek on 13 September 2013. The Center serves as a platform for training legal professionals from SCO member states.