The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit concluded today in Tianjin, China, with member states adopting the Tianjin Declaration and 24 other documents aimed at strengthening security, economic ties, and cultural cooperation.
Hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State brought together leaders from across the region, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the heads of state from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev and other top officials were also in attendance.
According to SCO press release, the leaders engaged in detailed discussions on a wide range of topics, including politics, security, trade, energy, and sustainable development. Proposals were put forward to streamline the organization’s structure, boost investment and trade, and enhance humanitarian exchanges.
In addition to the Tianjin Declaration, the summit led to several key outcomes:
- SCO Development Strategy until 2035 was approved.
- A joint statement was issued to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the formation of the United Nations.
- Agreements were signed to establish an SCO Anti-Drug Center and a Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats. The new centers were officially launched during the summit.
- Laos was granted the status of an SCO dialogue partner.
- SCO was granted observer status at the Commonwealth of Independent States.
- Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, was designated the “tourist and cultural capital of the SCO” for 2025-2026.
The documents adopted are expected to form the basis for the organization’s future work, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing regional and global challenges through enhanced cooperation.
The SCO Summit in Tianjin was the culmination of the Chinese presidency of the Organization in 2024-2025. The chairmanship “baton” for 2025-2026 passed to Kyrgyzstan. President Sadyr Japarov announced the theme of the Kyrgyzstan presidency, “25 years of the SCO: together towards sustainable peace, development and prosperity.”/// nCa, 1 September 2025