Putin to take part in SCO summit, hold bilateral meetings

BISHKEK, September 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his visit to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. His agenda for Tuesday includes events related to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and a marathon of bilateral meetings.

The SCO summit will officially begin on the morning of September 1 with a welcoming ceremony for the leaders of the organization’s member states hosted by Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov. The leaders will then pose for a photo.

The summit will kick off with a Council of Heads of State meeting themed “25 years of the SCO: together for a stable world, development, and prosperity.” Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that the leaders would review the organization's activities in the past 25 years and discuss efforts to further strengthen the SCO and expand cooperation in politics, security, the economy, and humanitarian ties. The SCO leaders will also exchange views on pressing international and regional issues, with a special focus on improving the organization’s effectiveness.

After the SCO session, a traditional SCO+ meeting will be held, bringing together the leaders of SCO observer countries, dialogue partners and guests invited by the chair. This time, the SCO member states - Russia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - will be joined by Afghanistan, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka. The meeting will also be attended by the heads of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The broader meeting will be held under the theme "The United Nations as the Key Element of a Fair World Order: The Contribution of SCO+ Countries to the Formation of a Multipolar World," Ushakov said.

The summit will conclude with the signing of more than 20 documents, the main one being the Bishkek Declaration, which will reflect consolidated approaches to pressing regional and international issues, including economic challenges. Another important document is a protocol to the 2002 SCO Charter, which will streamline the structure of the organization’s bodies. The Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the Anti-Drug Center will be added to them. A new "SCO partner" category will also be introduced, aimed at simplifying the organization’s structure by merging the existing observer and partner categories. In addition, a package of decisions on combating drug trafficking, international security, science, technology and logistics is expected to be signed, along with statements on energy efficiency, nuclear safety and security, and cooperation in emergency response.

Once the SCO summit is over, Putin will continue his series of meetings with other countries’ leaders.