Cui Li, vice-president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held talks with heads of people-to-people diplomacy institutions from SCO countries on the sidelines of the "Everyone's Responsibility for A Shared Future" International Forum on Public Diplomacy in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, on Nov 18.

During her visit to Khanty-Mansiysk, Cui held fruitful talks with old and new friends, fostering cooperation within the SCO family. She noted that the GNFCC has signed memorandums of cooperation with several people-to-people diplomacy institutions from SCO countries, aiming to jointly leverage the unique role of social organizations in promoting extensive people-to-people cooperation across various fields.

Noting that the GNFCC will host a series of activities themed on sustainable development during China's rotating presidency of the SCO, Cui extended a sincere invitation to all parties to attend next year's SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities in China. She called for joint efforts to leverage the advantages of social organizations, and build a pragmatic cooperation platform for shared and sustainable development, contributing to the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future.

During the discussion, participants lauded the Belt and Road Initiative for creating development opportunities for various countries, and expressed their support for China's rotating presidency of the SCO. They emphasized the importance of upholding the "Shanghai Spirit", and further strengthening communication and cooperation to promote substantive development of people-to-people diplomacy within the SCO framework.

Andrey Yuryevich Belyaninov, secretary-general of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly of Russia; Svetlana Konstantinovna Smirnova, chairperson of the General Council of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly; Yousif Zeynal, a Bahraini parliamentarian; Nursultan Adenov, deputy director of the Cultural and Integration Center of the SCO Countries and the Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan; and heads of people-to-people diplomacy institutions from countries including Tajikistan, Armenia and the United Arab Emirates also attended the meeting.