Sadyr Japarov: SCO countries represent more than 40% of the world’s population

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation opened its anniversary summit in Bishkek with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov presenting the group as a major international organisation representing more than 40% of the world’s population.

The meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State coincides with the organisation’s 25th anniversary. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Kyrgyz capital for the summit.

Japarov said the organisation had grown over the past quarter century from a mechanism for building trust along borders into one of the leading international organisations. He said its members also account for approximately a quarter of global GDP.

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Over the past quarter century, the organization has evolved from a mechanism for building trust at the border to one of the leading international organizations, proving its effectiveness and relevance.

Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship included about 200 events, Japarov said. He highlighted security cooperation, economic and transport connectivity, cultural and humanitarian ties, digital development and artificial intelligence as key areas. The summit’s theme is “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity.”

Japarov said the leaders would review the organisation’s first 25 years, set priorities for future cooperation and adopt decisions aimed at improving its work. He formally declared the meeting open.

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In the year of the SCO’s 25th anniversary, our shared goal is not only to summarize the first quarter of a century, but also to open the next page in the organization’s history, a page of sustainable peace, joint development, and shared prosperity.