Shanghai Cooperation Organization to hold summit

The first day of the 24th summit of heads of state and representatives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) begins today in Astana, Kazakhstan

Initially an international economic union of five countries, the SCO now includes nine member states, adding Iran in 2023. Belarus is set to join the organization as a result of the upcoming summit, which will enable the SCO to represent nearly half of the global population and cover a large part of mainland Eurasia. The member countries are expected to discuss new paths of cooperation in sustainable development and connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The chairmanship of the SCO passed to Kazakhstan during a turbulent geopolitical time, when Russia lost trade partners in the EU and America due to the invasion of Ukraine, making it economically much more dependent on China. Should other SCO countries extend trade relations with China, it will similarly deepen their dependence on Beijing in key industrial sectors. In the long-term, traditional economic cooperation between the countries might spill over into the military domain as well, starting with the increase of trade in dual-use technologies, military equipment, and non-lethal weapons. The SCO could potentially acquire global significance and influence on the world economic stage if the national objectives and strategic interests of its member states were not so significantly different.