Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has arrived at the Yrys Ordo congress hall in Bishkek to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Upon the arrival the Belarusian President was greeted by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov. After the welcoming ceremony, the leaders of the SCO member states gathered for a group photo.

"In today's world, stability means the ability to maintain balance despite emerging obstacles. This is only possible with reliable pillars of support. Today, the SCO is seen as one of them, arguably the most important in Eurasia," said Aleksandr Lukashenko at the forum.

"In the face of escalating global conflicts, it is important to strengthen and reaffirm in practice the SCO's image as a Eurasian hub of the emerging multipolar world order, and to ensure the unity of the organization on every key area of its work," the head of state emphasized.

The President noted that over the 25 years since the organization's founding, the SCO Heads of State Council meetings have become one of the most significant and anticipated events on the international calendar. Particular attention is focused on this year's meeting as the organization marks its 25th anniversary.

"We are set to outline the strategic contours of the SCO's future and open a new chapter in its work," he said. Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the shared goals have been succinctly articulated under Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship: to strengthen stability and expand cooperation for continued shared development.

Aleksandr Lukashenko, speaking about the key areas of the SCO's work, named security as the first among them.

"Challenges in this field are growing. Information, diplomatic, financial-economic, and other sanction pressure… These are the realities of today. The arsenal of the world's mighty no longer includes only the technologies of color revolutions and hybrid influence. At present, direct large-scale military aggression has demonstratively returned. Our response to such a challenge should be the formation of a new security architecture in Eurasia, the creation of a common space of trust and cooperation," Alexander Lukashenko said.

"The rapid development of information technologies has added a new digital dimension to the conventional system of coordinates. Belarus advocates for the earliest possible establishment of a single, open, and secure SCO digital space," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Among the most important areas of the SCO's work, the Belarusian leader named the economy. He emphasized that joint initiatives should yield concrete results, improve the well-being of peoples, and promote the cohesion of SCO states. "Regular contact between our relevant agencies has been established. We all expect that the number of meetings will translate into quality, large-scale practical initiatives," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The President stated that Belarus firmly supports the earliest possible establishment of the SCO Development Bank in order to give additional stability to economic ties and strengthen the financial sovereignty of the region.

"We welcome measures to increase the share of national currencies in mutual settlements in order to build immunity of our monetary systems to global challenges. Above all, to illegal sanctions and unilateral coercive measures that are breaking payment chains between our countries and with other trading partners," the Belarusian head of state said.

The Belarusian leader described the humanitarian dimension as one of the key areas of the SCO's work. He thanked SCO member states for their active participation in the meeting of education ministers, which was held in Minsk for the first time this year. Aleksandr Lukashenko also expressed gratitude for the approval of the Minsk Initiative project, which envisages the creation of a consortium of universities and high-tech corporations within the SCO.

"Belarus also suggests establishing a scientific fund for the organization, which would facilitate the integration of research potential across our countries. Through this instrument, we will be able to support innovative research projects in a wide range of fields, from climate and ecology to smart agriculture, biotechnology, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals," the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state emphasized that progress in such areas of the SCO's work as security, economy, and the humanitarian dimension will help strengthen the monolithic unity of the member states and their cohesion and enhance the organization's authority and collective voice on the international stage.

"The partner status enshrined in the SCO Charter demonstrates that we are not advocates of closed alliances and are ready to interact with everyone in the 'Shanghai spirit'. The SCO needs to expand ties with other associations, such as the EAEU, the CIS, the CSTO, ASEAN, the African Union, and, of course, BRICS," Aleksander Lukashenko stated.

The heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have signed a package of documents on cooperation in various fields. The document signing ceremony took place following the SCO summit in Bishkek.

The main document was the Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the SCO. Another document was a protocol on amendments to the SCO Charter aimed at improving the organization's activities. It formalizes the amendments to the SCO Charter related to the establishment of the Universal Center and the Anti-Drug Center as permanent bodies of the SCO, the introduction of a new "SCO Partner" category, and the granting of official status to the English language.

In order to enhance the efficiency of transport infrastructure and improve logistics, an action plan for the development of ports and logistics centers of SCO member states for 2026-2030 has been adopted. The concept for regional data processing centers, computing capacities, and the development of the artificial intelligence industry in the SCO has been agreed upon.

The SCO chairmanship in 2026-2027 passes from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan. By decision of the heads of state, the Pakistani city of Lahore has been declared the tourist and cultural capital of the organization for this period.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.

The Belarusian leader spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.