Kazakhstan hosts the 24th SCO summit

The heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states met at the 24th SCO summit in Astana on July 3.

According to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the heads of state plan to consider a wide range of issues that will further strengthen the SCO's multifaceted cooperation, its prospects, and the resolution of pressing international and regional problems.

The summit started with Belarus' official accession to SCO, granting it the status of a full-fledged member of the organisation.

Furthermore, previously, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstan seeks to develop bilateral cooperation with the BRICS countries and is ready to contribute to the development of the organisation's potential as a member state.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a joint press conference with Tokayev that China supports Kazakhstan in joining the BRICS mechanism as well as in playing the role of a middle-level power in the international arena and making a due contribution to global governance.

The Chinese leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin held negotiations at the summit.

"Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are experiencing the best period in their history. They are built on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and respect for each other's sovereignty"

Vladimir Putin Russian President

Russian President Putin said he was looking forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival at the BRICS summit to be held in Kazan in October.

In this new decade of opportunity, the Astana summit is expected to reach further consensus on aligning the BRI initiative with national development strategies, initiating more cooperative projects, and enhancing the SCO's role in the global economy, as reported by CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS.

Nelli Semenova, senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that among the relatively new topics of the summit's programme is the promotion of environmental cooperation, including ecological protection, waste management, and drinking water safety.

"The SCO Summit in Astana is a historic event aimed at building a geopolitical balance and a dialogue platform on topical issues"

Nelli Semenova Expert in energy and transport cooperation between SCO countries