Xinhua Agency, Baku, August 31 Title: The SCO Tianjin Summit will bring new momentum for stable development-Interview with Melkiyan, an expert from the Orbeli Center in Armenia

The New York Times reporter Liu Liu

Johnny Melkiyan, a senior researcher at the Orbelli Center in Armenia, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency that the SCO Tianjin Summit will bring new momentum for stable development in the context of multiple challenges facing the global governance system.

Melkiyan believes that the world is currently facing unprecedented challenges and the international cooperation environment is becoming increasingly complex. It is against this background that the SCO has demonstrated strong stability and adaptability."The summit will further strengthen cooperation among member states in the economic and political fields and inject new momentum into the stable development of the 'SCO family' and the region."

Mr. Melkiyan said the summit was of special significance to Armenia, which, as a dialogue partner of the SCO, wanted to further convey its vision of cooperation. "Prime Minister Pashnyan of Armenia wants to take this summit to inform all parties about our plans and expectations for participating in regional cooperation."

In Mr. Melkiyan's view, the SCO's unique appeal stems from the "Shanghai Spirit", which he believes is valuable in breaking down barriers between institutions and levels of development, bringing together countries with different political systems and stages of development, and promoting exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations. "What we see on this platform is not pressure or coercion, but equal respect and sincere dialogue, which is the key to the SCO's strong appeal."

Melikiyan believes that in recent years the SCO has shown a thriving trend in all fields and that connectivity and sustainable development are important for Armenia.

The Orbali Center is the think tank of the Public Relations and Information Center of the Armenian Prime Minister¡¯s Office, which is engaged in research in the fields of economy, security and diplomacy.