The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China from August 31 to September 1 is particularly noteworthy this year.
Modern.az reports that the event was attended by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations.
Who is participating?
At the summit, along with the heads of the SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners are also represented:
- Russia – Vladimir Putin
- India – Narendra Modi
- Iran – Masud Pezeshkiyan
- Pakistan – Shahbaz Sharif
- Belarus – Alexander Lukashenko
- Kazakhstan – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- Uzbekistan – Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Kyrgyzstan – Sadyr Japarov
- Tajikistan – Emomali Rahmon
- Turkey – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Myanmar – Min Aung Hlaing (military leader)
- Nepal – K.P. Sharma Oli
- Indonesia – Prabowo Subianto
- Malaysia – Anwar Ibrahim
- Maldives – Mohamed Muizzu
Among the heads of international organizations are UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.
The importance of the summit lies in the fact that it was organized at a time of increasing global tensions. The discussions will mainly cover several important directions. First and foremost, the global economic crisis and trade wars are in focus. As the high tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump have affected India, China, and other countries, nations are trying to seek new markets and cooperation opportunities.
Another important topic concerns regional security. The war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, terrorism in South Asia, and border issues are at the forefront of the agenda. China and Russia, promoting the idea of “indivisible security,” propose an alternative approach to NATO's.
Energy and transportation corridors will also be discussed at the summit. Projects connecting Central Asia with the South Caucasus — such as the Zangezur corridor and the Trans-Caspian route — stand out in terms of economic cooperation. Against the backdrop of the participation of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, the opening of new communication lines in the region and the economic aspects of peace are also particularly emphasized.
At the same time, the event is significant in terms of the formation of a multipolar world and new diplomatic collaborations. China is trying to present itself as the leader of the Global South, and the SCO's cooperation opportunities with BRICS and other organizations are being discussed.
One of the notable points of the summit is the bilateral meetings of leaders. A brief contact between Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the summit is not excluded.
It should be noted that following the summit, China will hold a military parade on September 3 commemorating the end of World War II. It is expected that many leaders, including Putin and Erdoğan, will participate in this event in Beijing. This also aims to strengthen Beijing’s image as a “global power center.”
