The SCO countries are committed to deepening practical cooperation within the Organization: Tashkent hosted the international conference marking the 20th anniversary of the SCO Charter

Tashkent hosted an international conference titled "Shanghai Cooperation Organization: from Central Asia to Eurasia" dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the SCO Charter on June 17. It wa.organized by the International Institute of Central Asia.

Representatives of the SCO Secretariat, SCO member, observer and partner states, foreign ministries, economic agencies and relevant research centers, including the Economic Research Institute (ERI) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, were in attendance. Kazakhstan was represented by National Coordinator for SCO Activities Yerlik Ali and Chief Expert of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan Adil Kaukenov.

The participants noted the established character of the Organization, which is a unique regional international structure of its kind. Today the SCO unites more than half of the Earth's population, which determines its stabilizing role in Eurasia in the context of global architecture restructuring, growing geopolitical confrontation, accompanied by the breakdown of previously established lines of interaction. The high degree of uncertainty and substantial risks of destabilization in the region increase the responsibility, importance and attractiveness of the SCO in the world, as evidenced by the wide list of observer countries and partners.

Proposals of the Conference participants will be reflected in the agenda of the forthcoming SCO First Economic Forum and the Council of SCO Heads of State in Samarkand in September 2022.

For reference: 

SCO – is an intergovernmental internationa.organization, established in 2001, whose goals, principles, structure and main directions are set forth in the SCO Charter, adopted in 2002. Member states: India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observers: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia. Partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka.

The main goals of the SCO are strengthening mutual trust and good neighborly relations among the member countries, promoting effective cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science and technology and culture as well as in education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields, jointly ensuring and maintaining peace, security and stability in the region, promoting a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.

The SCO principles ("Shanghai spirit") are: mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for the diversity of cultures and the pursuit of joint development; in foreign relations, the principle of non-alignment, non-targeting of anyone and openness.