MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) – The core focus of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has elegantly evolved to include economic cooperation, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov said in an interview to Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned. When asked if innovation cooperation is needed within the SCO framework, Nikolai Snopkov noted: “Development is impossible without innovation. In my opinion, for the sake of economic sustainability within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, innovation should be the number one priority.”“We see today how the organization's core focus has somewhat transformed. But today, it is elegantly transforming to encompass not only security but also economic cooperation. In conclusion, Nikolai Snopkov noted that it is a given that the countries operating within the SCO must work together on innovation to implement it in their respective nations and to maintain their competitiveness.