President of Uzbekistan sums up 25 years of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation development

On September 1, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the anniversary meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek.

The event, chaired by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, was also attended by President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ularbek Sharsheev.

In accordance with the agenda, the participants reviewed the Organisation’s achievements over its 25 years of activity and discussed priority tasks for strengthening stability, expanding cooperation, and advancing joint development. They also exchanged views on the most pressing international and regional issues.

During the meeting, the heads of delegations warmly congratulated President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan on Independence Day. They highly praised the large-scale domestic reforms being implemented under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan, as well as his pragmatic and open foreign policy aimed at strengthening stability and security, promoting prosperity, and improving the well-being of the population.

Welcoming the participants, the President of Uzbekistan extended his best wishes to President Sadyr Japarov and the fraternal people of Kyrgyzstan on the 35th anniversary of the country’s state sovereignty. He particularly noted Kyrgyzstan’s impressive development dynamics and its steadily growing standing on the international stage. The Leader of Uzbekistan also highlighted the fruitful results of Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and expressed support for the agenda and draft decisions of the meeting.

The President of Uzbekistan emphasized that over the past quarter-century, the Organisation has demonstrated its relevance and effectiveness. Guided by the principles of its Charter and the “Shanghai Spirit,” the SCO has ensured dialogue on an equal footing and contributed to regional stability and sustainable development.

From the very first days of the SCO’s establishment, Uzbekistan has consistently supported its strengthening as an open, non-bloc, and peaceful platform for cooperation, with a focus on Central Asia.

Against the backdrop of a widening geopolitical divide, a growing deficit of trust, escalating conflicts, and the erosion of international law, the need to resume dialogue and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East was once again emphasized.

The President of Uzbekistan outlined the most pressing tasks facing the SCO.

He proposed developing a conceptual vision entitled “SCO – 2040: A Space for Common Development.”

“Its main objective should be to create an interconnected and sustainable space, where investments, technologies and knowledge can be freely exchanged, major infrastructure and industrial projects can be implemented, and direct ties among regions, businesses and people can be expanded,” the Leader of Uzbekistan noted.

President Shavkat Mirizyoyev also proposed developing an SCO Industrial Cooperation Map to integrate special economic zones, production processes, markets, and logistics into a universal digital platform for businesses, investors, and government agencies.

Among the priority measures, the President emphasized the importance of the Council of Heads of Government beginning the selection of a portfolio of projects in transport, energy, industrial cooperation, and digital infrastructure, to be implemented once the SCO Development Bank becomes operational.

Welcoming the initiative of the President of the People’s Republic of China to establish a World Organization for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, the President of Uzbekistan proposed establishing a partnership between the SCO and the new technological alliance. He called for a decision to establish an Open Multilingual Data Corpus of the SCO and expressed Uzbekistan’s readiness to host an SCO Forum on Artificial Intelligence and New Digital Solutions.

In response to climate challenges, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to develop a unified SCO agenda on food, water, and energy security. To advance this work, he proposed establishing a specialized SCO mechanism to coordinate comprehensive programs and facilitate the exchange of technologies and advanced expertise.

One practical step in this direction will be the development of the SCO Program for Technological Cooperation in Water and Energy Efficiency until 2035.

To further develop an extensive network of international transport corridors, the President highlighted the importance of establishing a Council for the Integration of Railway Networks of the SCO Member States.

 Preserving peace and stability in Afghanistan was identified as a fundamental condition for the security and development of the region. In this regard, the President proposed resuming regular dialogue between the SCO and Afghan representatives.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that the adoption of the Regulations on the Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats in Tashkent marks the beginning of a new stage in the Organisation’s institutional development. He assured that all necessary conditions would be created for the Center’s effective operation.

To further strengthen friendly ties among the peoples of the SCO countries, the Leader of Uzbekistan proposed developing a Cooperation Program for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Art and Intangible Cultural Heritage for 2028–2030.

In conclusion, the President of Uzbekistan congratulated Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on assuming the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The meeting concluded with a ceremony for the signing of documents. In particular, the Bishkek Declaration, the Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the SCO Charter of June 7, 2002, the Declaration on Strengthening Multilateral Partnership in the Field of Nuclear and Physical Nuclear Security, as well as a package of other important documents aimed at further strengthening cooperation in key areas, were adopted.