By Noor Bakhtiar Ahmad
ASTANA (Kazakhstan), July 5 (Bernama) -- The 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concluded on Thursday with remarkable achievements, including the adoption of the Astana Declaration and approval of 25 strategic documents spanning energy, security, trade, finance, and information security.
The Astana Declaration accentuated the SCO’s role in bolstering global peace, security, and stability and shaping a new democratic, equitable international political and economic order.
Among key resolutions adopted at the SCO Summit were cooperation programmes to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism for 2025-2027, strategies for energy cooperation until 2030, and the Economic Development Strategy’s Action Plan until 2030.
A key highlight at the SCO Summit was the official admission of Belarus as a full member state of the SCO, making it a 10-member organisation.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in addressing the summit, said the SCO has become an effective mechanism for interstate relations, operating based on the “Shanghai Spirit” of friendship, good neighbourliness, equality, and mutual support.
He highlighted the monumental significance of the SCO and the summit itself.
“More than three billion people live in the SCO space. The organisation includes the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies, accounting for a third of global GDP. This clearly demonstrates the enormous potential and global role of our organisation,” he said.
“The circle of international organisations partnering with the SCO has expanded. The activities of the Special Working Group on Investments have resumed, and the transition to settlements in national currencies has gained momentum,” Tokayev added.
During Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, Tokayev reported the successful execution of about 150 events at various levels, spanning digital, tourism, energy, and business forums, as well as the SCO Youth Council, and Kazakhstan has also fully fulfilled all the goals and objectives set at the previous summit.
Tokayev outlined key priorities the member states of the “Shanghai Ten,” emphasising mutual trust, cybersecurity, economic cooperation, and transport connectivity.
He called for addressing the global crisis in international affairs and enhancing the SCO's stabilising and creative role to uphold international law and prevent geopolitical splits.
He also called for promoting the SCO initiative on World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony, and Development, initially proposed by Kazakhstan and supported by SCO members.
“The ongoing process of expanding the organisation opens up new opportunities and gives impetus to its development,” he said.
Tokayev also proposed several key strategies to enhance multilateral cooperation among SCO member states which include supporting China’s plan to to expand market access and increase SCO trade turnover to US$3 trillion.
He also proposed developing a large Eurasian trade belt utilising over 350,000 kilometres of railroads, noting that “eighty percent of land transportation between Asia and Europe goes through Kazakhstan”, apart from ensuring connectivity through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and the North-South corridor.
China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025.
The SCO now has 10 members composed of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus.
-- BERNAMA
