The next regular meeting of prime ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member- states will take place in Tajikistan in the second half of 2006, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov pronounced on Wednesday.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization will turn five in 2006, and quite a lot has been done, but the main (achievements) lie ahead," Fradkov said at a press conference following the SCO prime ministers' conference, according to the Interfax news agency.

There are good chances to efficiently use the potential of SCO member-states, which have an overall population of over one billion people and boast colossal natural and material resources, Fradkov said.

"We need to achieve results that would help improve people's lives and enable our countries to play a key role in the world economy and geopolitics," he said.

The participants in Wednesday's meeting signed an agreement on inter-bank cooperation, and a business council under the SCO auspices started operation, Fradkov was quoted as saying.

They also signed an agreement on interaction in dealing with the aftermath of emergency situations, the 2006 SCO budget, and the organization's financial regulations, the Russian premier said.

"We are looking into the future with optimism", said Fradkov, believing the SCO is a substantial stabilizing factor in international affairs and a significant element of the international architecture.

The SCO is formed mainly by Chinese initiative in June, 2001, and inaugurated an Anti-Terrorist Center in the Uzbek capital Tashkent in June 2004.

China, Russia and four Central Asian states -- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are member states of the SCO.

Mongolia get its observer status to the SCO in 2004, while Iran, Pakistan and India have become observer-states this year.

Source: Xinhua