There are more opportunities than challenges ahead for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as it continues to develop and protect the interests of its member states, according to a report released on Friday.

The Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Social Sciences Academic Press jointly released the Annual Report on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2013) ahead of an SCO summit on Friday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

"As an important regional multilateral cooperative bloc, the SCO works as a dependable and responsible organization that can safeguard the interests of all member states and thoroughly tackle various challenges," said the report.