04.07.2023

On July 4, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi,  took part in the regular meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State held in the videoconference format.

The event, chaired by India, was also attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Zhang Ming and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Committee of the SCO Ruslan Mirzayev.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ibrahim Raisi, the President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and heads of international organizations attended the summit as observer countries and guests of honor.

In accordance with the agenda, the sides exchanged views on topical regional and international issues, discussed prospects for further expansion of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation.

In his address, the President of Uzbekistan assessed the cardinal changes taking place in the system of international relations - the intensification of geopolitical tensions and escalation of conflicts, emergence of new risks and threats to global stability and sustainable development, growing challenges in the field of ecology, food and energy security.

«In this regard, there is an acute need to establish a constructive and trusting dialogue», the President said.

It was emphasized that Uzbekistan takes a principled position on the central role of the United Nations in settling disputes and conflicts, seeking and adopting compromise solutions for ensuring peace and stability.

Speaking about the SCO activities, the President of Uzbekistan underlined that the success of this organization lies in strict adherence to its basic principles. These include non-aligned status, firm commitment to openness, equality, and consensus-based decision-making.

«And most importantly, our cooperation is based on mutual respect and constructive perception of different interests, positions, views, and cultural differences of the member states», the President said.

In order to further preserve and strengthen the leading role of the SCO as an effective international structure in addressing the most topical issues on the regional agenda, it was proposed to conduct an inventory of the adopted agreements and decisions, audit the activities of cooperation institutions and mechanisms, and accelerate the implementation of agreements on SCO modernization. It was pointed out that it is necessary to implement a joint research project on the prospects of the organization’s development within the framework of the SCO expert forum.

Taking into account the agenda of the summit, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan put forward specific proposals on further development of cooperation within the framework of the organization.

In particular, the Head of our country put forward an initiative to develop a multilateral political document, the SCO Code of Good-Neighborliness, Trust and Cross-Border Partnership.

«Its adoption will facilitate to identify priority tasks, develop common approaches and complex measures to further deepen cooperation in the new environment», Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The President of Uzbekistan stressed that the SCO states are leaders in terms of industrial and innovative development, have a huge intellectual potential, rich energy, and agricultural resources.

«Today, the initiative to form a common space for boosting intra-regional trade and industrial-technological cooperation is more relevant than ever», the President noted.

In this context, the President proposed to adopt the SCO New Economic Dialogue Program covering such areas as innovative development, digitalization and robotization, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and other industries of the future.

In order to promote projects in these areas, the Head of state put forward a proposal to hold in Uzbekistan the Week of Innovative Partnership of Regions of SCO Member States with the organization of a joint exhibition of high technologies.

As regards to transportation and communication issues, the President of Uzbekistan initiated the development of the Unified Map of Transport Interconnectivity of the SCO Member States.

«This will help identify bottlenecks and gaps, prioritize measures and projects to form a common, integrated transport and transit system», the President noted.

In support of declaring next year as the Year of Ecology in the SCO region, the President proposed to prepare a Joint Action Plan to promote regional environmental projects and the introduction of green technologies as part of the implementation of the Green Belt Program.

«There is a need for closer coordination and practical interaction on the SCO platform on issues of adaptation to climate change, decarbonization through alternative, solar and wind energy, as well as the development of «smart» agriculture and water conservation», the Head of our state said.

The President expressed readiness to hold a scientific and practical conference on the development of the SCO tourism industry at the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Samarkand within the framework of the anniversary session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in October 2023.

The Head of state emphasized the importance of coordinated policy to fully develop the rich cultural and humanitarian potential of the SCO. In this regard, it was proposed to introduce the practice of forming an annual Calendar of Intensive Cultural Exchange and prepare a program of measures to expand youth exchange – «SCO - the space of creative ideas and initiatives of the future».

Noting the efforts to revitalize the activities of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the President advocated the continuation of the practice of the RATS Council’s on-site meetings, which would enable this structure to improve its competence in promptly responding to contemporary security threats.

Another important issue is the complicated situation in Afghanistan.

The President stressed that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization states, which are Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors, are most interested in finding a long-term political solution.

In this regard, it was proposed to restart joint work and consultations in the format of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group.

Following the outcomes of the event, the Heads of the SCO Member States signed the following documents:

- New Delhi Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States;

- Decision on Approval of the Strategy of Economic Development in the SCO Region until 2030;

- Decision on Completion of the Procedure of Admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO Membership and on Granting It the Status of an SCO Member State;

- Decision on Signing the Memorandum on the Obligations of the Republic of Belarus for the Purpose of Obtaining the Status of a SCO Member State.

In addition, 10 documents were adopted aimed at further enhancing economic cooperation and digital transformation, ensuring regional security and expanding cultural and humanitarian ties.

The Republic of Kazakhstan took over the SCO chair.