SCO leaders adopt Bishkek Declaration, expand cooperation on security, trade, technology

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states adopted the Bishkek Declaration on Tuesday and set out plans to deepen cooperation on security, trade and technology as the organization marks its 25th anniversary.

The declaration was adopted at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in the Kyrgyz capital, bringing together key regional leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The declaration reaffirmed the 10 member states' commitment to international law and the UN Charter and called for strengthening the UN's role in maintaining international peace and security and advancing sustainable development.

It also backed what the members described as a more representative and just multipolar world order, while calling for reforms to global governance that would give states a more equal role in decision-making.

The declaration also called for the responsible use of artificial intelligence, reforms to global economic governance and stronger cooperation on sustainable development, while opposing what it described as "double standards," particularly on human rights.

The group also emphasized the non-military nature of the SCO, saying its members "adhere to an approach that excludes bloc-based and confrontational methods of addressing international and regional development issues."

Beyond the declaration, leaders signed more than 20 other documents covering security, drug trafficking, technology, transport, energy and environmental cooperation.

The measures included steps to strengthen regional security and counter drug trafficking, expand transport and logistics links, develop artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, and deepen cooperation on energy and environmental issues.

The summit also approved closer cooperation between the SCO and the African Union Commission and designated Lahore, Pakistan, as the SCO's tourism and cultural capital for 2026-2027.

The SCO comprises 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan will take over the SCO chairmanship from Kyrgyzstan and host the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State in 2027.