SCO leaders meeting in Astana: What to expect from the summit?

On July 3-4, Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will host the 24th expanded summit of the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who made a state visit to Kazakhstan a day earlier, will also attend the summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Astana this morning, July 3.

Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, whose country is an observer in the organization, is also in Astana. Presidents Sadir Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, both from Central Asian SCO members, will participate. Tajikistan has yet to confirm President Emomali Rahmon's attendance.

India will be represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Iran's Acting President Mohammad Mokhber will be present. Belarus, an observer, will be represented by President Alexander Lukashenko.

The summit's expanded format includes leaders from SCO dialogue partner countries, such as Azerbaijan, Qatar, UAE, Turkmenistan, and Turkey. Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey will participate.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev, CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov, and leaders from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Islamic Organization for Food Security will also attend.

“The summit, held under the theme "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue: Striving for Sustainable Peace and Development," aims to enhance the SCO's role in addressing current international and regional issues. Leaders will focus on international trade, the economy, regional security, infrastructure, energy, ecology, health, tourism, education, digitization, and transport and logistics. More than 20 documents, including the Astana Declaration and the SCO development strategy until 2035, will be adopted,” the report stated. 

A key topic will be combating terrorism. Discussions will include the "Cooperation Program for Combating Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism for 2025-2027" and the "SCO Drug Control Strategy for 2024-2029." A decision on Belarus's full membership in the SCO is anticipated. After the summit, China will assume the SCO chairmanship.