Centers of power: the SCO called for a reboot of the UN
The anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek consolidated the transition of the association from a regional format to one of the main centers of the multipolar world. On September 1, the leaders of almost 20 countries signed the Bishkek Declaration, approved a course for UN reform and fixed the transition to settlements in national currencies. The large—scale agenda was reinforced by Vladimir Putin's busy diplomatic marathon: in the Kyrgyz capital, the Russian leader held a series of talks with key partners, from a detailed clock check with Masoud Peseshkian, despite US pressure, to lengthy discussions on energy development with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. What the SCO has already achieved in 25 years and what tasks still need to be solved can be found in the Izvestia article.
What did the SCO leaders agree on at the summit?
Kyrgyzstan is concluding the year of its chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) with one of the largest summits in its history. On September 1, the leaders of almost 20 countries from various parts of the world gathered in Bishkek on the main day of work. The Yrys Ordo Congress hall was built especially for the forum. And Manas airport has doubled its capacity to 3.5 thousand passengers per hour. The republic has not hosted SCO leaders since 2019, and therefore, in the year of the organization's 25th anniversary, as the host country, it approached this with full responsibility.
President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov
National flags were hoisted at the main building of the new congress center, and a guard of honor was lined up to receive high-ranking guests. The world leaders were personally met by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. Vladimir Putin arrived in Bishkek the day before and has already held a series of talks with Moscow's main Asian partners — China, India and Kazakhstan. And already at a meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO member States, the President of the Russian Federation summed up the results of Moscow's cooperation with the organization as a whole. For example, Russia's trade turnover with all partners exceeded $400 billion last year, and 98% of settlement transactions were conducted in national currencies. Therefore, it is important that the new SCO Development Bank become as independent as possible from the financial systems of countries that use them as weapons, Vladimir Putin said.
Today, the SCO represents a "colossal colossus" in terms of territory, population and GDP, emphasizes Stanislav Pritchin, Head of the Central Asia Sector at the IMEMO RAS. But due to its flexible structure and lack of strict commitments, the organization is not always capable of a rapid overall response, even in the face of external threats to its members, as in the case of Iran. At the same time, this democratic approach makes the site attractive to new participants. But in order to become a truly dominant global force, the SCO needs to learn how to present a united front on key international issues.
The signing of 15 documents following the results of the summit will help a new round of development. And the Bishkek Declaration became the key one, according to which the SCO countries oppose coercive measures contrary to the UN Charter and declare the inadmissibility of attempts by individual countries to ensure their own security at the expense of the security of others. The leaders of the member States also recalled the non—aligned nature of the organization. Practical solutions have also been confirmed, from launching a Universal Center for Security Threats and the Executive Committee of the Anti—Drug Center to deepening settlements in national currencies, protecting critical and energy infrastructure, and interacting in the field of AI.
"I am convinced that a solid package of decisions prepared for approval by the leaders following the results of this meeting will give our partnership in the SCO a new impetus," Vladimir Putin said before the signing ceremony.
The SCO's role in the new world order
For a quarter of a century, the organization has made its way from a regional structure to one of the key centers of the multipolar world. Its membership has also expanded significantly. India and Pakistan joined the SCO in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024. Representatives of 17 countries and six international organizations gathered in the SCO+ format. The leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Mongolia and Turkey, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, arrived in Bishkek.
The main topic of the meeting was the reform of global governance and the future of the United Nations. The leaders agreed that the transition to a multipolar world cannot be stopped, but a key international institution needs a serious reboot. As Vladimir Putin noted, the organization's potential has still not been fully developed.
— Not everything, we don't always like and are satisfied with the work of the UN. At the same time, I must note that in fact, to be honest, this has always been the case, almost from the moment of its creation," said Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, the UN must retain its role as the main mechanism for coordinating interests, rather than advancing the will of individual powers. To do this, it is necessary to increase its effectiveness and expand the representation of the countries of the Global South and East, including in the Security Council. Probably, we are talking about such giants as India, Brazil or the leading African states that have long sought a seat in the Security Council.
Chinese President Xi Jinping supported this position and called for the United Nations to regain its former authority. According to him, it is time for the world to abandon the "law of the jungle", hegemony and double standards, relying on equal rights for all countries. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev added that there should be no place for the cult of power in the new world system, and the UN must remain its core.
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
Alexander Lukashenko's speech was once again the most emotional. The President of Belarus said that the SCO should help "revitalize" the United Nations and take on specific tasks, from fighting sanctions to developing the digital economy. He warned that real things are expected of the organization, and if time is lost, the SCO risks becoming the same bureaucratic platform that it is trying to reform.
Who did Putin hold meetings with at the SCO
During the two days of work in Bishkek, Vladimir Putin's schedule turned into a busy marathon of bilateral negotiations. After talks with Xi, Modi and Tokayev, on the day of the main meetings, the Russian leader talked with almost all other leaders, including partner countries.
The full—scale talks between the Russian president and Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian were a direct demonstration of the failure of the West's sanctions policy, especially in the face of harsh ultimatums from the Donald Trump administration and its attempts to build total international isolation of Tehran. Putin emphasized that relations between Moscow and Tehran are in the nature of a comprehensive strategic partnership, and Russia admires the courage and resilience of the Iranian people.
The Russian President asked to convey warm words of support to Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and recalled the fragility of the Iranian-American June truce, assuring that Russia continues to provide Tehran with the necessary goods and humanitarian assistance. In turn, Masoud Peseshkian thanked Russia for its principled position and support at the UN. He stated that it is precisely the strategic format of relations and the SCO mechanisms that make it possible to effectively offset US sanctions and counter Washington's legal lawlessness.
The bilateral negotiations here at the SCO summit are not just a routine item on the schedule. Both international conflicts and quite pressing issues are discussed. For example, the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lasted an hour longer than planned. Despite the fact that the leaders had not spoken in person for a long time, the pause in face—to-face contacts had no effect on the dynamics of ties: Putin called Turkey one of Russia's privileged partners, both economically and in foreign policy.
Energy has again become the main driver of the negotiations. The mood was set by the atomic construction site of the century, the Akkuyu NPP. The Turkish leader recalled the task set for Rosatom to launch the first power unit in 2026, to which the Russian president assured: the builders are strictly on schedule. At the same time, Erdogan made it clear that Ankara is already looking to the future and is ready to negotiate with Moscow on the construction of new nuclear facilities immediately after the launch of the first unit.
Everything is calm in Russian-Mongolian relations: the strategic partnership is based on long-standing traditions of good neighborliness, friendship, and understanding of each other's mutual interests. There will probably still be close contacts between the politicians of the two countries this year — on November 5, Moscow and Ulaanbaatar will celebrate the 105th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In the interaction between Moscow and Yerevan, some issues have accumulated that require specific solutions. Armenia's desire to join the EU is a legitimate right of the country, but this creates difficulties, including due to its stay in the EAEU, Vladimir Putin stressed, calling for a faster determination of future steps. The Russian President told Pashinyan that the adoption of the law on the beginning of the procedure for Armenia's accession to another organization means a declaration of withdrawal from the current one. At the same time, the Russian Federation remains the republic's main economic partner. Moscow has always advocated the development of friendly and mutually beneficial relations with Armenia, and this meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries, Putin recalled.
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