As one of the six founding states of the SCO, Uzbekistan took a direct and active part in the development of the basic principles and constituent documents of the organization, as well as the creation and development of its institutional framework.
The states that are members of this organization are the closest neighbors and strategic partners of Uzbekistan. Multi-profile interaction within the SCO serves to strengthen both multilateral regional and interregional cooperation and the development of cooperation with each of these states.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is one of the youngest but dynamically developing international organizations. Over the past period, it has made a rapid breakthrough from the format of a consultative mechanism to a full-scale interstate association.
The total area of its member countries exceeds 34 million km2. This is more than 60% of the territory of the Eurasian continent. The total population of the SCO countries is 3.2 billion people, which is about half of the world’s population. The organization unites 8 permanent members, 4 observer states and 9 dialogue partners. The large “SCO family”, numbering 21 countries, covers three continents – Asia, Europe and Africa. At the same time, interest from other countries in interaction with the structure in one format or another continues to grow. The total volume of the economies of the SCO member states is about 20 trillion US dollars, which is 13 times more than when it was created. The organization space represents the largest consumer market in the world. Today, the total GDP of the SCO members has reached about 1.4 of the global figure. By 2030, this figure may increase to 35-40%.
The SCO has a colossal transport and transit potential, which is waiting for its practical implementation. In the context of the diversification of global supply chains, the creation of new international rail and road corridors in Eurasia along the East-West and North-South directions is acquiring a strategic dimension.
It was within the framework of the SCO for the first time in the world that a multilateral document was developed that defined the concept of “terrorism” – the SCO Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism of June 15, 2001. Consistent work in this direction is being carried out by the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO, headquartered in Tashkent, with the coordinating role of which joint effective measures are being taken to eradicate the causes, sources and manifestations of the “forces of three evils”. On a regular basis, the SCO conducts anti-terrorist exercises, including those to identify and suppress the use of the Internet for terrorist, extremist and separatist purposes, as well as the international anti-drug operation “Web”.
Through the secretaries of the Security Councils, the ministers of defense, the interior, and the heads of the anti-drug departments of the member states, a regular dialogue is maintained on a wide range of issues related to a wide segment of security.
Interaction has been established on issues of ensuring international information security. The Working Group is functioning in this area, with the active participation of the Uzbek side, the relevant Cooperation Program has been prepared and adopted.
In the Declaration of the Anniversary Dushanbe Summit of the SCO in 2021, the leaders of all member states unanimously declared their support for the recent efforts by the countries of Central Asia to ensure sustainable development and the formation of a space of trust and friendship in the region, supported the idea of expanding the active role of the SCO in further strengthening their stability and socio-economic development. They also welcome the holding of regular Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of the Central Asian region, which were initiated by the President of Uzbekistan.
The plan of the chairmanship of the Republic of Uzbekistan provides for holding more than 80 major events, more than half of them have been implemented. They cover not only the areas of cooperation already established in the SCO, but also new areas of demand, such as the development of cooperation in the field of intra-regional trade, industrial cooperation, innovation, poverty reduction, digital transformation and others.
In order to implement the initiatives put forward by President Sh. Mirziyoyev during the chairmanship of Uzbekistan, drafts of 14 new conceptual documents have been developed. They are aimed at the substantive and institutional expansion of the spheres of interaction in the SCO. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the projects of such new documents for the practice of the SCO as the Transport Connectivity Strategy, the Plan for the Development of Intra-Regional Trade, the Infrastructure Development Program, and the establishment of the institution of the SCO Goodwill Ambassador. In turn, the initiative actively promoted by Tashkent to strengthen interconnectedness within the framework of the SCO is aimed at effectively using the huge transport and transit potential in a wide area of the organization.
Through these efforts, Uzbekistan intends, together with partners, to use the capabilities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to accelerate the practical implementation of a system of transport corridors, such as Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China, Termez-Mazari-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar, Lanzhou-Kashgar-Irkeshtam-Osh -Andijan-Tashkent-Mary” and other routes, which in the current geo-economic conditions acquire a special strategic character.
The SCO Interconnection Strategy proposed by Uzbekistan also contributes to the revival of the unique economic and transit role of Afghanistan for the whole of Eurasia.
This year, Uzbekistan, as the chairman of the SCO, will host the Summit of the heads of the member states of the organization. The chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is approaching the main event – the meeting of the Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, a solid package of new legal and conceptual documents designed to bring multifaceted interaction within the organization to a new qualitative level. The choice of Samarkand has a deep meaning – from time immemorial this city has been a place of historical meetings and civilizational dialogue, a bridge of cultural and humanitarian mutual enrichment and development of international trade, strengthening good neighborliness.
Today, on the eve of the summit, the “pearl” of the Great Silk Road is experiencing a new birth with a large-scale reconstruction and is ready to host the largest political and diplomatic forum of the year in the Eurasian space.
In such a favorable atmosphere at the Samarkand Summit, the heads of state will discuss new challenges and tasks facing the SCO in the light of the profound transformation of modern international relations, and will take a number of important decisions that will be of historical significance for the further evolution of the Organization.
One of the key issues on the agenda of the summit meeting is the further expansion of the SCO. The Memorandum of Obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to obtain the status of a SCO member state is already ready for signing. The document will practically open the way to full-fledged membership of this large Middle Eastern country in our Organization.
In addition, applications from about 10 more countries for participation in the activities of the SCO in the format of full members, observers and dialogue partners will be considered.
Signing of memorandums on establishing partnership relations between the SCO and a number of other international and regional organizations such as the Arab League, UNESCO, and ESCAP is also expected at the summit site.
Avesta.tj,
August 10, 2022