In the afternoon of May 11, 2012, the opening ceremony of the new premises of the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Secretary General of the SCO Muratbek Imanaliev and Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Dzhenisbek Dzhumanbekov inaugurated the new premises.

Addressing the ceremony, Yang said that the SCO Secretariat undertakes the important mission of maintaining the routine operation of the SCO and coordinating the pragmatic cooperation of its member states. It has worked hard and made special contributions to the development of the SCO. To improve the working conditions and further tap the potential of the Secretariat is crucial to the long-term development of the SCO, which is always a major concern of the member states, especially China which is the rotating presidency country of SCO and the host country of the Secretariat and conforms to the common aspiration of all the member states.

He noted that the premises are located in downtown Beijing and close to the Chang'an Avenue. He believes that the premises after completion will become a beautiful landscape of Beijing in the near future.

On behalf of the SCO Secretariat, Imanaliev expressed gratitude to the Chinese leaders, government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He believes that China will make outstanding contributions to the sustainable development and rising international influence of the SCO.

In May 2003, the summit of the heads of state of the SCO member states in Moscow issued the declaration to establish the Secretariat. In January 2004, the Secretariat held the inauguration ceremony held in Beijing and located its office in Liangmaqiao Road, northeast of Beijing. The new premises which were opened on May 11 are located in Ritan Road, downtown Beijing with an area nearly doubling the old office.