MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - More energetic efforts by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in implementing joint economic and energy projects will strengthen security in Central Asia, a leading Russian expert said on Tuesday.

The SCO comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The group primarily addresses security issues, but has recently moved to embrace economic and energy projects.

“In many respects, chaos in Asia stems from poverty and despair. If these issues are resolved within the SCO on a parity basis, for instance, joint projects are implemented in the energy and economic spheres, then tension in the region would gradually lessen and fall short of the levels where extremist Islamist groups could flare up with armed acts,” said Leonid Gusev, senior researcher at the East Asian and SCO Studies Center.

One project could be the creation of the so called SCO energy club to discuss joint energy projects, considering that some SCO members, like Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are energy-rich while others, like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan suffer energy shortages.

“If at least this proposal were implemented, opportunities would emerge for closer integration between SCO and Central Asian countries for cooperation,” Gusev said.