SCO Summit Opens in Kyrgyzstan with Leaders from China, Russia, Iran, and More

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a major bloc led primarily by anti-Western nations including China, Russia, and Iran, opened in Kyrgyzstan on the 31st local time for a two-day run.

Leaders and officials from 17 countries—including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif—along with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, are attending the summit in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek through September 1st.

The SCO was established in 2001 as a multilateral consultative body by China, Russia, and four Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. This year marks its 25th anniversary.

Following the accession of India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024, the number of member states currently stands at 10.

Additionally, Afghanistan and Mongolia participate as observers, while 15 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), serve as dialogue partners.

One of the primary focuses of this summit is the response of member states to the ongoing war in Iran.

China and Russia, prominent anti-Western nations, have consistently opposed all-out pressure from the United States, including military strikes and economic sanctions against Iran.

However, considering factors such as the U.S. administration under Donald Trump signaling massive sanctions against third countries cooperating with Iran, Bloomberg reported that leaders at the summit are likely to limit themselves to expressing symbolic solidarity with Iran.

This is because neither President Xi nor President Putin has shown an intention to provide military support to Iran, and their countries' economic assistance to Iran has been limited.

International relations expert Mohammad Hassan Najmi told AFP that Iranian authorities believe "by joining and actively participating in these alliances (the SCO), they can bypass U.S. and European sanctions."

However, he observed that "these alliances have rarely helped alleviate Iran's difficulties in times of crisis," noting that the concrete benefits the SCO offers Iran remain uncertain.

During the summit, leaders including President Xi, President Putin, Prime Minister Modi, and President Pezeshkian are scheduled to hold individual bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the plenary sessions to discuss strengthening cooperation.

At this summit, President Xi is expected to further solidify solidarity among non-Western nations while preparing for his planned visit to the U.S. and summit talks with President Trump later next month.

Meanwhile, President Putin, who has been bogged down in the war in Ukraine for four and a half years, is expected to use the summit as an opportunity to once again showcase that Russia is not internationally isolated.

President Xi and President Putin held talks today to discuss major issues and international affairs, including the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline project, which would supply natural gas from Russia's Yamal Peninsula through Mongolia to northern China.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.