Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should raise the level of their pragmatic cooperation in various fields, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Friday.

Yang made the remarks when addressing an SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

SCO members should strengthen political consultations and cooperation in preparing for next month's SCO summit, he said.

In the field of security, they should deepen cooperation in their joint fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime, said the Chinese foreign minister.

He also urged SCO members to enhance cooperation in such fields as agriculture, transport, investment, finance, disaster relief, health and tourism.

In line with the principle of openness, transparency and not being directed against any third party, the SCO should conduct extensive cooperation with other countries and international organizations, he said.

Yang said China attaches great importance to the SCO and has actively participated in the organization's affairs.

China is ready to work with other SCO members to continue to promote the development of the organization, he added.

The SCO, founded in 2001, groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The heads of state of the six member countries will gather in Dushanbe on August 28 for a summit.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2008)