What does the future of the world hold? What was agreed in Samarkand?

The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization began in Samarkand.  On 15 September, President of Mongolia Ukhnagiin Khurelsuh, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Tajikistan Imamali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian citizen Alexander Lukashenko and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Erdogan participated in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along with Jomart Tokayev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a video released yesterday on 15 September, we provided information that guests visited the tomb of the first President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received heads of state and government, the Presidents held talks and signed various documents.

Today, we will report on topics such as the planting of trees, the presidents' dinner last night, and the narrow and extended meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Yesterday, the last Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, arrived in Uzbekistan.  After the bilateral meeting and negotiations of the heads of state, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev together with the heads of states and governments planted a tree in the «Great Silk Road» International Tourist Center.  It was here that the informal meetings of the presidents began.

It was said that the trees planted by the leaders will serve as a symbol of friendship, good-neighborliness and common aspirations of the SCO countries to development and prosperity.

Then the heads of state went to the «Eternal City» complex in Samarkand.  The complex reflects the image of ancient cities, their national traditions, as well as the history of relations with friendly nations.

There was a solemn reception on behalf of the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan in honor of the visit of the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The guests bypassed the complex to be photographed, and in connection with the start of the SCO summit in Samarkand put on fireworks.  Photos of the presidents sitting at the table went viral.  Discerning social media commentators began to discuss the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the dinner with leaders of 11 countries.

The agency «Reuters» with reference to a source in the government of Uzbekistan reported that the Chinese delegation, Xi Jinping, did not attend the dinner due to precautions related to the coronavirus.

Early on the morning of 16 September, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally welcomed guests to the Congress Hall of the SCO Council of Heads of State.  The leaders, gathered together, began their first task by taking a group photo.

Then, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a small meeting of the leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization began.  In accordance with the agenda of the meeting, the heads of State discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation within the SCO framework, exchanged views on topical issues of regional and international importance, taking into account the political and economic situation in the region.

A package of important documents - more than 40 agreements and decisions - was submitted for signature at the Samarkand summit.  They reflect the common approaches of the SCO countries to cooperation in the most important and promising areas, such as strengthening interdependence, industrial cooperation, «green economy», digitalization, and trade.

President of Kazakhstan Tokayev, Prime Minister of India Modi, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Kyrgyzstan Japarov, Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif, President of Russia Putin and President of Tajikistan Rakhmon also addressed the meeting.

The expanded meeting of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization began shortly thereafter.  It was also attended by Belarusian citizen Lukashenko, Turkish President Erdogan, Iranian President Raisi, Azerbaijani President Aliyev and President of Mongolia Khurelsuh.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at the expanded meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that in today’s environment where there is a lack of trust and mutual understanding, contradictions and conflicts, many threats to stability and security have increased. May peace be upon us.

In his view, contemporary challenges such as climate change, water and natural resource scarcity, the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, the energy and food security crisis posed a serious threat to sustainable development.

Also, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the expanded meeting of the SCO, noted that the crisis in Ukraine has caused serious interruptions in the supply chain.

«The crisis in Ukraine caused serious disruptions in supply chains and subjected the world to an unprecedented energy and food crisis», - said Modi.

He noted that the SCO should try to develop reliable and diverse supply chains in the region, and for this it is necessary to improve transport links between countries.
At the summit, Mirziyoyev, on behalf of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, called on the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to the country to eliminate the large-scale negative consequences of the natural disaster in Pakistan.

Speaking at the SCO summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on countries to abandon the use of «economic egoism» and illegal sanctions in their policies, pointing to the systematic mistakes of leading world economies.

Putin stressed that Russia is free from all «egoism» in politics.  He cited the European Commission’s decision to lift sanctions against Russian fertilizers as a clear example of this policy.

We know how important fertilizer is in solving the food problem.  We certainly welcome the decision to lift the sanctions, but it turns out that, according to the European Commission’s explanation of 10 September this year, these sanctions have been lifted only for the EU member states. It turns out that only they can buy our fertilizers! But what about the developing countries? The poorest countries in the world? » - said the Russian leader.

He also informed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that 300 thousand tons of Russian fertilizers have been collected in EU seaports, and that Russia is ready to donate them to developing countries.

Addressing the SCO summit, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, suggested that the idea of creating an anti-narcotics structure for the organization in connection with drug smuggling in Afghanistan should be considered.

«It’s time to implement the idea of creating a special anti-narcotics structure of the SCO», he says.

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the heads of state that Ankara intends to expand cooperation with the SCO, mainly in the field of security.

“The SCO is a respected and reliable platform for promoting the ideas of tolerance and cooperation.  Turkey sincerely believes that relations between Ankara and the SCO will continue to develop.  We hope to expand cooperation with the SCO, mainly in the field of security," he said.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, drew the attention of the Heads of State to Afghanistan and publicly stated that the country was a victim of terrorism.

«Strengthening Afghanistan in terms of combating terrorism and providing security will be a positive turn, not only for this country, but for the whole world», - said the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is the sole responsibility of the Armenian military-political leadership.

Unfortunately, on 13 September this year Armenia conducted a large-scale military operation on the territory of the state border with Azerbaijan.  Armenia’s provocation is a blow to the process of normalization of relations.  The military and political leadership of Armenia bears full responsibility for this," Aliyev said.

The Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, who came to Samarkand to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, held face-to-face talks and agreed on the situation on the border.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to give instructions to the relevant structures for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops and equipment from the conflict line.

It was also agreed to expedite the work of the intergovernmental commission of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the delimitation and demarcation of the State border.

The expanded meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was concluded.  The participants adopted the Samarkand Declaration.  In total, 44 documents were adopted - agreements, concepts, programs and other decisions.  This is a record number in the history of the organization.

The organization’s next summit will be held in India for the first time.

Basic rules in the document:

•    The countries confirmed that the SCO is not directed against other countries and international organizations and noted the openness to cooperation, taking into account mutual interests;

•    Expressed their intention to develop cooperation in the field of defense and security, to draw up a single list of terrorist and extremist organizations, and also stressed the importance of conducting joint anti-terrorist command and staff exercises «Peace Missions»;

•    Some countries have been criticized for developing a unilateral global missile defense system.  This, in their view, negatively affects international security and stability;

•    States opposed the militarization of information and communication technologies and supported the development of an international convention under the auspices of the United Nations to combat the criminal use of ICT;

•    Called for accession to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their destruction (CWC);

•    Stressed the need to develop an international legal instrument to preserve outer space unarmed and to guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space;
•    The implementation of Iran’s nuclear program action plan and strict compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons are considered important;

•    Stressed the need for an inclusive government with the participation of representatives of all ethnic, religious and political groups in Afghanistan;

•    It was decided to create a special group on startups and innovations, as well as a group on poverty alleviation and folk medicine;

•    the title of «SCO Goodwill Ambassador» was approved;

•    2023 was declared the Year of Tourism.  In general, the member States have signed some 40 documents, including a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the agreement on long-term good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.