The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit revealed a stark contrast between the messages coming from Western and Eastern platforms: the West is dominated by “aggressive alarmism,” while the East and South focus on global development and equality among states and peoples. This view was expressed by Federation Council Deputy Chairman Konstantin Kosachev in his column for TASS.
“The SCO summit and other meetings in China showed a huge dissonance between what is voiced in the West and on Eastern platforms. While the East and South speak of global development, democratization of governance, a return to rule of law, equality among states and peoples, rejection of pressure, and inclusiveness, the West is ruled by aggressive alarmism regarding anything that happens beyond its control,” Kosachev said.
He also pointed out the West’s longstanding problem of “almost adolescent egocentrism.” All world events are seen exclusively through the prism of Western self-interest, as if everything is done against the West—“conspiracies everywhere, attacks on democracy,” attempts to undermine the system that supposedly worked well after World War II, the senator added.
“At the press conference following his visit to China, [Russian President] Vladimir Putin especially emphasized that during discussions and meetings there was not a single instance over those four days that could be called confrontational. This is a very important point, highlighting that neither the SCO, nor its summit in China, nor any of the participants have the intention to oppose anyone,” Kosachev noted.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on TASS materials