The 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially opened on Tuesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, bringing together leaders from across Eurasia to mark the regional bloc's 25th anniversary.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov received attending heads of state and government at the Yntymak Ordo presidential complex before the leaders gathered for the official summit family photograph.
Delivering his opening address, President Japarov emphasized the historical context of the gathering, which coincides with the silver jubilee of the organization's founding. Operating under the summit theme "Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity," Japarov highlighted the SCO's transition from an initial regional border security arrangement into a major global entity with widespread international influence.
Highlighting the collective weight of the ten-member bloc, the host president noted that SCO nations represent over 40 percent of the global population and account for roughly a quarter of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).
Japarov framed the philosophical vision of Kyrgyzstan's rotating chairmanship around the traditional adage "Unity is the foundation of prosperity," describing it as the core embodiment of the "Shanghai Spirit." Following his remarks, the Kyrgyz president declared the high-level meeting formally open, transitioning proceedings into closed-door executive sessions.
During the closed discussions, participating heads of state are expected to finalize and sign the comprehensive "Bishkek Declaration," establishing strategic directives for regional security, economic integration, and trade architecture over the coming decade.
High-level leaders attending the summit in Bishkek include:
* Chinese President Xi Jinping
* Russian President Vladimir Putin
* Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
* Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
* Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
* Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
* Tajik President Emomali Rahmon
* Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Following the conclusion of the core Council of Heads of State meeting, the bloc will transition into an expanded "SCO Plus" session. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to participate in the expanded discussions; while Türkiye is not a full member, it has maintained official status as an SCO "dialogue partner" since 2012.
