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Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathered in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Tuesday for the bloc’s 25th anniversary summit, with talks focused on regional cooperation, trade and the organization’s future development.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov welcomed heads of state and government at the Yntymak Ordo complex before leaders posed for a traditional group photo.
Opening the Council of Heads of State meeting, Japarov said this year’s theme is “Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
He said the SCO had evolved from a mechanism focused on border security into a global actor with influence on the international stage.
Japarov said SCO members represent more than 40% of the world’s population and around a quarter of global gross domestic product (GDP).
He said Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship was guided by the saying “Unity is the foundation of prosperity,” which he said reflects the principles of the “Shanghai Spirit.”
Japarov expressed confidence that coordinated decisions by member states would open a new stage in the organization’s development before formally declaring the meeting open.
The talks then continued behind closed doors, with leaders expected to sign the “Bishkek Declaration” marking the SCO’s silver jubilee.
Attendees include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Putin said the SCO had become the world’s largest regional organization, bringing together countries representing about half of the global population.
“The SCO today is in fact the largest regional organization in the world, where half of the world’s population lives,” Putin said.
He said the organization had made significant progress since its establishment 25 years ago and had developed into an influential center of the emerging multipolar world.
“Over 25 years, the organization has come a truly long way,” Putin said, adding that Russia supports efforts to improve the SCO’s effectiveness.
He identified expanding trade among SCO members as a key priority and highlighted the growing use of national currencies in mutual settlements.
Putin said more than 98% of Russia’s payments in trade with SCO partners are now conducted in national currencies.
Following the Council of Heads of State session, the SCO Plus meeting is set to begin with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan among those due to attend.
Türkiye is not a full member of the organization but has held “dialogue partner” status since 2012.
The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has since expanded to 10 full members, with India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus joining the bloc.
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