China and Russia issued a joint statement on 8 May 2015 outlining the main approaches to linking the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) projects. The parties believe that to build the One Belt One Road project, it is necessary to: use economic integration laws and actively enhance the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in stimulating regional economic cooperation; to promote construction of the SREB and linkage to and cooperation with the EAEU; to create a free trade area (FTA) in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) and simultaneously begin creating a similar FTA between China, Russia and Central Asia to gradually stimulate interstate trade and promote regional economic development; actively develop — along with an improved model of energy cooperation — infrastructure and related industry; and strengthen business contacts and jointly promote construction of the SREB.