Summit in Uzbekistan to open new page in SCO success story

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s coming summit in Samarkand would open a new page in its success story, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday.

"There is no doubt that this legendary city would open another page in the SCO’s success story to which the glorious historical heritage of Samarkand should contribute," the Uzbek leader wrote in an article published on his website ahead of a SCO summit to be held in Samarkand on September 15-16. The president of Uzbekistan said Samarkand would be ready to greet the leaders of 14 countries "with new breakthrough proposals and initiatives designed to promote the prosperity of the SCO and each member country."

According to Mirziyoyev, the coming summit would show "how to establish a new inclusive dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, confidence and constructive cooperation for the sake of common security and prosperity," while Samarkand "could become the very platform for uniting and reconciling countries with different foreign policy priorities."

Established in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization unites India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as its members. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia hold the status of observers, while Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey are partner countries. At the Samarkand summit, Iran is expected to be admitted to the international organization as a full member, and Belarus’ application for the status of a member state should be welcomed.