XI'AN, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Modern Agricultural Exchange Center was officially inaugurated Friday at the Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industrial Demonstration Zone in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The event coincides with the opening of the 28th the China Yangling Agricultural High-tech Fair.

The exchange center will have multiple functions including education and training, and will host conferences, exhibitions and cultural exchanges to strengthen cooperation on modern agriculture between China and SCO members.

"Agriculture is the priority cooperation direction of the SCO, and China has made achievements in the field of agricultural technology and put forward many constructive initiatives," said SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov while addressing the center's launch ceremony via video.

With the joint efforts of SCO members, agricultural cooperation will make new contributions to safeguarding food security and improving people's living standards in SCO countries, he added.

The 28th China Yangling Agricultural High-tech Fair, held from Friday to Oct. 26 in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is themed "Science and technology innovation drives rural vitalization."

Established in 1994, the fair is one of the largest and most influential exhibitions of agricultural scientific and technological achievements in China. Enditem