Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will strengthen their cooperation with observer countries in fighting terrorism, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said on Monday.

"The SCO will celebrate its fifth anniversary on June 15. The stage of formation is practically over. The stage of active practical cooperation has begun in economy and other fields, including stability and security, primarily the fight against terrorism," Alexeyev said, quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency.

The SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia are observers of the group.

"Representatives of the four (observer) countries clearly expressed their interest in cooperation, including the anti-terrorist direction, economy and energy, at the SCO prime ministers' meeting last fall. The mechanism for effective involvement of observers in multilateral projects is being worked out," Alexeyev said.

On possible addition of more observers, Alexeyev said the quality of cooperation, not the number of observers, matters most.

"The SCO has a whole range of forms of dialogue with various countries and groups that are agreed on with partners and determined by the real needs of the sides," he said.

Source: Xinhua