The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should bolster its standing in the international arena by expanding its contacts with other major organizations, according to Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
"An important task is to further strengthen the international authority of the organization by expanding its contacts with major international and regional structures," Tokayev emphasized in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. He noted that over 150 events have already been held across the globe, from New York to Beijing and from Nairobi to Moscow, thereby broadening the SCO's range of partners and enriching its legal framework with new documents.
Tokayev views Kazakhstan's current SCO chairmanship as "an important and very responsible mission." He explained, "As one of the founders of the organization and an active supporter of the development of multilateral dialogue, Kazakhstan considers the SCO a permanent priority in its balanced foreign policy."
The president highlighted that Kazakhstan will strive to "develop common approaches to solving security problems, strengthen trade and economic cooperation, advance environmental protection, and strengthen the bonds of friendship" between the peoples of the SCO member countries. He described the upcoming SCO summit as "the culmination of the presidency" of the Kazakhstani side.
"We expect to make strategically important decisions in further improvement of the SCO," - Tokayev noted. - "The main areas of interaction for the medium term will be defined, and initiatives will be developed for adequate and timely response to current challenges and threats."
SCO Summit in Kazakhstan
The SCO summit will be held on July 4 at the Palace of Independence in Astana. Zhang Ming, SCO Secretary-General, is expected to attend. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and heads of several international organizations have been invited to the meeting.
The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. Initially, it included six countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, and Iran in 2023. Belarus is expected to complete the process of joining the organization soon.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS