On June 9-10, 2018, a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO SCO) was held in Qingdao (PRC).

It was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of India N. Modi, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbayev, Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of the Kyrgyz Republic S. Sh. Jeenbekov, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan M. Hussain, President of the Russian Federation B V. Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan E. Rahmon and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. M. Mirziyoyev.

The meeting was chaired by President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.

The meeting was attended by SCO Secretary General R.K. Alimov and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) E.S. Sysoev.

The event was attended by the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan A. Ghani, the President of the Republic of Belarus A. G. Lukashenko, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran H. Rouhani, the President of Mongolia H. Battulga, as well as the First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations A. Mohammed, Secretary General Association of Southeast Asian Nations Lim Jok Hoi, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States S.N. Lebedev, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Yu.G. Khachaturov, Executive Director of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia Gong Jianwei, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission T.S. Sargsyan, Vice-President of the World Bank V. Kvava, Director of the Department of International currency board Lee Chan Young.

The leaders of the member states reviewed the progress in implementing the results of the 2017 Astana Summit and the priority tasks for the further development of the SCO in the context of current processes in world politics and economics. The agreed positions of the parties are reflected in the adopted Qingdao Declaration.

It was stated that the member states, firmly adhering to the goals and principles of the SCO Charter and following the “Shanghai spirit”, are progressively solving the tasks defined in the SCO Development Strategy until 2025. It was noted that the SCO has today established itself as a unique, influential and authoritative regional association, the potential of which has increased significantly with the accession of India and Pakistan to the Organization.

The intention was confirmed to continue strengthening practical interaction in the field of politics, security, trade and economics, including financial, investment, transport, energy, agricultural, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties. The Action Plan for 2018-2022 for the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on Long-Term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States was approved.

In the context of an exchange of views on current international and regional issues, the need was emphasized to increase joint efforts to ensure security and stability in the SCO space, as well as to promote the formation of a new type of international relations and a common vision of the idea of ​​​​creating a community with a common destiny for mankind.

Member states consistently advocate resolving the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula and other regional conflicts within the framework of generally accepted norms and principles international law. The importance of the sustainable implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program was noted.

Member States reaffirm their strong support for UN efforts to ensure international peace and security. They noted the need for consensus on the adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism, as well as the initiative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to promote the Code of Conduct at the UN to achieve a world free of terrorism.

The leaders of the member states noted the intentions of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan to nominate their candidacies for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The coordinated line of the SCO on effective fight with security challenges and threats. The adopted Program of Cooperation of SCO Member States in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2019-2021 will contribute to the promotion of practical interaction in this area. A special role in its implementation is assigned to the SCO RATS.

The results of the International Conference on Countering Terrorism and Extremism (Dushanbe, May 3-4, 2018), which has become an important platform for interaction between the parties in these areas, were highly appreciated.

The leaders of the member states are in favor of establishing comprehensive work on the spiritual and moral education of the younger generation and preventing their involvement in destructive activities. In this regard, a Joint Appeal to Youth and a Program of Action to implement its provisions were adopted, and the initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to adopt a special resolution of the UN General Assembly “Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance” was supported.

Member states will continue to promote cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking based on the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023. and the Action Program for its implementation, as well as the SCO Concept for the Prevention of Abuse of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

The SCO will continue to contribute to building broad and mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of information security, developing universal international rules, norms and principles of responsible behavior of states in the information space.

The commitment of the SCO member states to the central role of the UN in promoting the implementation of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development was confirmed. The importance of improving the architecture of global economic governance, consistent strengthening and development of the multilateral trading system, the core of which is the World Trade Organization, was emphasized in the interests of creating an open world economy.

The SCO strives to create favorable conditions for trade and investment, determine joint approaches to solving problems of simplifying trade procedures, stimulating e-commerce, developing the services industry and trade in services. Efforts will continue to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses and promote cooperation in the fields of transport, energy and agriculture.

The initiative to hold the first meeting of the heads of railway administrations of the SCO member states in Uzbekistan was supported.
In order to increase attention to environmental problems, member states adopted the Concept of Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection. Work continued on the draft Cooperation Program of the SCO Member States on Food Security.

The initiative of the Republic of Tajikistan on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” and the holding of a high-level International Conference on this topic under the auspices of the UN (Dushanbe, June 20-22, 2018) were highly appreciated.

The Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Islamic Republic Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan confirmed their support for the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative of the People's Republic of China and noted efforts to jointly implement it, including linking the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and the OBOR.

The leaders of the member states advocate using the potential of the countries of the region, international organizations and multilateral associations in order to form a broad, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership in the SCO space.

The development of interregional cooperation will be facilitated by the creation of the Forum of Regional Heads in the SCO. The intention was noted to hold the first meeting of the Forum in 2018 in Chelyabinsk (Russian Federation)

Efforts will continue to unleash the full potential of the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Association.

The position was confirmed in favor of further strengthening practical cooperation in the banking and financial sector and continuing the search for common approaches on the issue of creating the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Fund (Special Account).

Confirming the special role of humanitarian cooperation in strengthening mutual understanding, trust and friendship between peoples, the leaders of the member states spoke in favor of developing multifaceted interaction in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, as well as in the field of health, tourism and sports.

The desire to increase multidisciplinary cooperation with observer states and dialogue partners of the SCO, as well as international and regional organizations was emphasized.

As a result of the meeting, the Joint Statement of the Heads of State on Facilitating Trade Procedures and the Statement of the Heads of State on Jointly Combating the Threats of Epidemics in the SCO Space were also adopted. A Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the Cooperation Program of the SCO Member States in the field of tourism for the period 2019-2020, a Memorandum of Understanding to stimulate cooperation within the SCO in the field of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and Regulations for information interaction of round-the-clock contact points carried out with using the channels of the CENcomm RILO-MOSCOW operational platform, Memorandum on the exchange of information on transboundary movements of ozone-depleting substances and hazardous waste.
The reports of the SCO Secretary General on the activities of the SCO over the past year and the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure on the activities of the RATS in 2017 were heard and approved.

The Council of Heads of SCO Member States appointed V.I. Norov (Republic of Uzbekistan) Secretary General SCO and D.F. Giyosov (Republic of Tajikistan) Director of the RATS Executive Committee for the period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021.

In the period after the summit in Astana (June 8-9, 2017), a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of member states was held (Sochi, November 30 - December 1, 2017), a meeting of the secretaries of the security councils (Sochi, November 30 - December 1, 2017). Beijing, May 21-22, 2018), extraordinary and regular meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers (New York, September 20, 2017, Beijing, April 24, 2018), meetings of the Council of National Coordinators (Beijing, April 24, 2018). Yangzhou, Moscow, Beijing, August 2017 - June 2018), Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (Beijing, September 17, 2017, Tashkent, April 5, 2018), meeting of the heads of border guards services of the competent authorities (Dalian, June 29, 2017), meeting of heads of departments involved in the prevention and response of emergency situations (Cholpon-Ata, August 24-25, 2017), ministers of justice (Tashkent, 20 October 2017), chairmen of the Supreme Courts (Tashkent, October 25-27, 2017, Beijing, May 25, 2018), heads of services responsible for ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being (Tashkent, October 25-27, 2017). Sochi, October 31, 2017), ministers responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade activities (Moscow, November 15, 2017), prosecutors general (St. Petersburg, November 29, 2017), heads of ministries and departments of science and technology (Moscow, April 18-21, 2018), SCO Forum (Astana, May 4-5, 2018), meeting of heads of national tourism administrations (Wuhan, May 7-11, 2018) , Ministers of Defense (Beijing, April 24, 2018), Ministers of Culture (Sanya, May 15, 2018), heads of competent authorities charged with combating drugs (Tianjin, May 17, 2018), SCO Women's Forum (Beijing,
May 15-17, 2018), SCO Media Forum (Beijing, June 1, 2018), meetings of the Board of the SCO Business Council (Beijing, June 6, 2018) and the Council of the SCO Interbank Association (Beijing, June 5-7, 2018), as well as other events at various levels.

The leaders of the member states highly appreciated the work done by the People's Republic of China during its chairmanship of the SCO and expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for the hospitality and good organization of the summit in Qingdao.

The chairmanship of the Organization for the coming period passes to the Kyrgyz Republic. The next meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States will be held in 2019 in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Last updated - 06/23/2016

On June 23, the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries gather in Tashkent for the 15th summit. The event will take place on June 23-24. All heads of the organization's countries confirmed their participation in it. About 1 thousand representatives of the SCO countries, international organizations and foreign media will also arrive in Tashkent to participate in the event.

The leaders intend to discuss what steps need to be taken to improve the organization’s activities, consider cooperation in the economy, security and counter-terrorism, and discuss current international issues.

11 documents have been prepared for signing for the summit. It is expected that the main document following the summit will be the Tashkent Declaration of the 15th anniversary of the SCO, which will reflect the approaches of the organization’s members to the prospects for its development, the SCO’s position on the current international and regional situation, and solving current security problems.

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History of the SCO

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional international organization founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. With the exception of Uzbekistan, the rest of the countries were members of the Shanghai Five, founded as a result of the signing in 1996-1997. between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan agreements on confidence-building in the military field and on mutual reduction armed forces in the border area.

The total territory of the SCO countries is 30 million km^, that is, 60% of the territory of Eurasia. The total population of the SCO countries is 1 billion 455 million people (2007), a fourth of the planet's population. The PRC economy is the second largest in the world in terms of GDP after the United States (it is also inferior to the total GDP of the European Union).

The SCO is not a military bloc (like, for example, NATO) or an open regular security meeting (like, for example, the ASEAN ARF), but occupies...

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The SCO - the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - includes six states: Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In addition to them, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are participating as observers with the intention of later joining the organization. The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001. The main residence is located in the capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing. The main objectives of the organization are to strengthen mutual trust and good neighborly relations between the participating states, to establish cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural areas. The main goal of the organization can be considered to ensure regional security, the fight against terrorism, extremism and...

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent regional international organization founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Prior to this, all countries, with the exception of Uzbekistan, were members of the “Shanghai Five”, a political association based on the “Agreement on Strengthening Confidence in the Military Field in the Border Area” (Shanghai, 1996) and the “Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area” (Moscow, 1997).

These two documents laid down a mechanism of mutual trust in the military field in border areas and contributed to the establishment of truly partnership relations. After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in the organization (2001), the “five” became the “six” and was renamed the SCO. In addition, currently five countries - Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan - have observer status in the organization, and three - Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka - have dialogue partners.

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MOSCOW, June 24 - RIA Novosti. The heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization signed memorandums of entry into the organization for India and Pakistan at a summit in Uzbekistan. According to summit participants, this will take the SCO to a new level.

In the declaration adopted at the end of the summit, the parties reflected their approaches to the further development of the association and expressed a consolidated opinion on current issues on the international agenda. In particular, the leaders of the SCO countries noted the increased geopolitical tension and the importance of the fight against terrorism.

Fight against terrorism

Following the summit, the participants adopted the Tashkent Declaration of the fifteenth anniversary of the SCO. One of the main topics of the document was the fight against terrorism and extremism, which pose a growing threat to all countries of the world.

“The rapidly changing situation in the world is characterized by increased geopolitical tensions, the growing scale of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which negatively affect the entire...

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Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization or SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization that was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. With the exception of Uzbekistan, the remaining countries were members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, member countries renamed the organization.

The Shanghai Five was originally created on April 26, 1996 with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Confidence in Border Areas in Shanghai by the heads of state of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. On April 24, 1997, the same countries signed the Treaty on the Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area at a meeting in Moscow.

Subsequent annual summits of the Shanghai Five group were held in Almaty (Kazakhstan) in 1998, in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) in 1999 and...

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Integration (connection, rapprochement) is one of the processes typical for the modern world. All states have long realized that international isolation does not lead to anything good. That is why countries unite into various organizations on the basis of economic, political, cultural or military-strategic cooperation. This article will discuss what the SCO and BRICS are. When did these organizations arise, and what states are part of them today?

SCO: decoding and general information

This Eurasian association was formed at the beginning of the 21st century by six states. The issue of reducing the number of military personnel in areas of common borders is what became the prerequisite for the formation of the SCO.

The decoding of the name of this organization is simple: Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Why Shanghai? Everything is very simple. The fact is that the backbone of this association was five countries that, back in 1997, became part of the so-called Shanghai Five, signing...

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SCO - Shanghai Cooperation Organization

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

What is the SCO

The SCO is a permanent regional international organization founded in June 2001. The SCO grew out of the “Agreement on Strengthening Confidence in the Military Field in the Border Area” (Shanghai, 1996) and the “Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area” (Moscow, 1997).

SCO member countries:

The SCO directly includes 6 states: Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. SCO observers are 5 countries: Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan. In addition, 3 countries are SCO dialogue partners: Belarus, Turkey, Sri Lanka.

SCO summits

The SCO regularly holds annual summits at which current issues are discussed, decisions are made and multilateral documents are signed. So, in 2015, Ufa will host the next international summit of the SCO, as well as the summit of the BRICS countries....

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The growing influence of such international organizations as NATO and the UN is forcing economically developed countries from different parts of the world to consolidate for joint cooperation in order to effectively counter the growing security threats and economic problems. One of such international associations was the SCO. Shanghai Cooperation Organization – young international association six Asian countries, which includes Russia. This is not an economic union, with a single trade space, and not a military bloc, with common troops and bases. In terms of its tasks and goals, it is somewhere in between, covering both components not on a global scale, preserving the individuality of all states.

History of the SCO

The SCO was initially informally called the Shanghai Five. The nineties were quite a difficult time for states Central Asia. Terrorist activity has increased, territorial claims have accumulated in bordering areas...

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About the organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional international organization founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. With the exception of Uzbekistan, the rest of the countries were members of the Shanghai Five, founded as a result of the signing in 1996-1997. agreements between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan on strengthening confidence in the military field and on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area. After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the participants renamed the organization.

The total territory of the SCO countries is 30 million km2, that is, 60% of the territory of Eurasia. Its total demographic potential is a quarter of the world's population, and its economic potential includes the most powerful Chinese economy after the United States.

One of the features of the SCO is that, in terms of status, it is neither a military bloc, like NATO, nor an open regular...

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Today in Tashkent there will be a meeting of the Council of Heads of State - members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the creation of this association, in which the Russian delegation led by Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part.
The day before, within the framework of the SCO summit, a meeting of the board of the SCO Business Council “New realities. New opportunities”, in which the chairman of the national part of the SCO BC from the Russian Federation, Sergei Katyrin, took part. The participants discussed, in particular, the state of development of project cooperation within the framework of the activities of the SCO BC, and a presentation of promising projects took place.

For information
The SCO Business Council was established following the SCO summit in Shanghai in 2006.

The national parts of the SCO Business Council are headed by organizations representing the interests of business - national chambers of commerce and industry and associations of entrepreneurs. The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry headed the Russian national part of the Business Council...

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The anniversary 15th SCO summit ended today in Tashkent. The leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the final declaration advocated expanding trade and economic cooperation and strengthening the fight against terrorism. Also in the capital of Uzbekistan, a decisive step was taken for India and Pakistan to join the organization.

The official events of the SCO summit in Tashkent began when it was still early morning in Moscow. The leaders of the states that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization arrived in Tashkent yesterday. In the evening they had the opportunity to communicate in an informal setting, and today everyone gathered at the negotiating table, first in a narrow format, and then in an expanded format with the participation of delegations from observer states.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov greets guests at the entrance to the meeting room. While they were waiting for Chinese President Xi Jinping, a lively conversation ensued. Journalists noticed that Nursultan Nazarbayev was actively doing something...

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This shaky structure, founded in 2001 in Shanghai, is a political-economic bloc, which, in addition to China and Russia, includes several republics of the former USSR, and even those are not fully and without much desire. The essence of the SCO is the concept of “Guys, let’s live together,” not to cause incidents on the borders, to reduce border weapons and, in general, to trade, cooperate in every possible way, and at the same time look askance at NATO. In 2015, India and Pakistan joined the SCO, having still not resolved the territorial dispute over Kashmir.

List of countries that are members of the SCO for 2015: Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan.

Mongolia, Belarus, Iran and Afghanistan are observers.



The abbreviation SCO stands for Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

This fragile structure, founded in 2001 in...

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization or SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization that was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. With the exception of Uzbekistan, the remaining countries were members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, member countries renamed the organization.

The Shanghai Five was originally created on April 26, 1996 with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Confidence in Border Areas in Shanghai by the heads of state of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. On April 24, 1997, the same countries signed the Treaty on the Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area at a meeting in Moscow.

Subsequent annual summits of the Shanghai Five group were held in Almaty (Kazakhstan) in 1998, in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) in 1999 and in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in 2000.

In 2001, the annual summit returned to Shanghai, China. There, the five member countries accepted Uzbekistan into the Shanghai Five (thus turning it into the Shanghai Six). Then all six heads of state signed the Declaration on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on June 15, 2001, noting the positive role of the Shanghai Five and seeking to move it to a higher level of cooperation. On July 16, 2001, Russia and China, the two leading countries of this organization, signed the Treaty of Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

In June 2002, the heads of SCO member states met in St. Petersburg, Russia. There they signed the SCO Charter, which contained the organization's goals, principles, structure and form of work, and officially approved it from the point of view of international law.

The six full members of the SCO account for 60% of Eurasia's landmass, and its population accounts for a quarter of the world's population. Taking into account observer states, the population of the SCO countries is half the world's population.

In July 2005, at the fifth summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, with representatives from India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan attending the SCO summit for the first time, host country President Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted guests with words that had never before been used in any context: "Leaders of States ", sitting at this negotiating table are representatives of half of humanity."

By 2007, the SCO had initiated more than twenty large-scale projects related to transport, energy and telecommunications and held regular meetings on security, military affairs, defense, foreign affairs, economy, culture, banking issues and other issues raised by officials of member states.

The SCO has established relations with the United Nations, where it is an observer in the General Assembly, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

SCO structure

The Council of Heads of State is the highest decision-making body within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This council meets at SCO summits, which are held every year in one of the capital cities of the member states. The current Council of Heads of State consists of the following members: Almazbek Atambayev (Kyrgyzstan), Xi Jinping (China), Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan).

The Council of Heads of Government is the second most important body in the SCO. This council also holds annual summits where its members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation. The council also approves the organization's budget. The Council of Foreign Ministers also hold regular meetings at which they discuss the current international situation and the interaction of the SCO with other international organizations.

The Council of National Coordinators, as its name suggests, coordinates multilateral cooperation among member states within the framework of the SCO charter.

The SCO Secretariat is the main executive body of the organization. It serves to implement organizational decisions and decrees, prepare draft documents (for example, declarations and programs), has the functions of a documentary depository for the organization, organizes specific events within the SCO, and promotes and disseminates information about the SCO. It is located in Beijing. The current Secretary General of the SCO is Muratbek Imanaliev from Kyrgyzstan, a former Kyrgyz foreign minister and professor at the American University of Central Asia.

The Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a permanent body of the SCO that serves to develop cooperation between member states in relation to the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. The head of RATS is elected for a term of three years. Each member state also sends a permanent representative of the RATS.

Cooperation between SCO countries in the field of security

The activities of the Shanghai Security Cooperation Organization are primarily focused on the security concerns of member countries in Central Asia, which is often described as the main threat. The SCO opposes such phenomena as terrorism, separatism and extremism. However, the organization's activities in the field of social development of its member states are also growing rapidly.

On June 16-17, 2004, at the SCO summit, which took place in Tashkent, a Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was created in Uzbekistan. On April 21, 2006, the SCO announced plans to combat cross-border drug crime through counter-terrorism operations. In April 2006, it was stated that the SCO had no plans to become a military bloc, however, it argued that the increased threats of “terrorism, extremism and separatism” made full-scale involvement of the armed forces necessary.

In October 2007, the SCO signed an agreement with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, in order to expand cooperation on issues such as security, the fight against crime and drug trafficking. Joint action plans between the two organizations were approved in early 2008 in Beijing.

The organization also opposed cyber warfare, saying that the dissemination of information harmful to the spiritual, moral and cultural spheres of other states should be considered a “security threat.” According to the definition adopted in 2009, “information warfare” is, in particular, regarded as an attempt by one state to undermine the political, economic and social systems of another state.

Military activities of the SCO

In the past few years, the organization's activities have been aimed at close military cooperation, intelligence sharing and the fight against terrorism.

The SCO countries conducted a number of joint military exercises. The first of them took place in 2003: the first phase took place in Kazakhstan, and the second in China. Since then, China and Russia have joined forces to conduct large-scale military exercises in 2005 (Peace Mission 2005), 2007 and 2009 under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

More than 4,000 Chinese soldiers took part in joint military exercises in 2007 (known as Peace Mission 2007), which were held in Chelyabinsk Russia near the Ural Mountains and were agreed upon in April 2006 at a meeting of SCO defense ministers. Air power and precision-guided weapons have also been used. Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the exercises were transparent and open to the media and public. Following the successful completion of the exercise, Russian officials invited India to also participate in similar exercises in the future under the auspices of the SCO. More than 5,000 military personnel from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan took part in the Peace Mission 2010 exercise, held September 9-25, 2010 in Kazakhstan at the Matybulak training ground. They conducted joint planning of military operations and operational maneuvers. The SCO acts as a platform for larger military statements by member countries. For example, during the 2007 exercises in Russia, at a meeting with the leaders of the SCO member states, including with the participation of then Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to announce the resumption of regular flights of Russian strategic bombers to patrol the territories for the first time since the Cold War. "Beginning with today, such flights will have to be carried out regularly and on a strategic scale,” Putin said. “Our pilots have been on the ground for too long. They are happy to start a new life."

SCO economic cooperation

All members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, except China, are also members of the Eurasian Economic Community. A framework agreement to enhance economic cooperation was signed by the SCO member states on September 23, 2003. At the same meeting in China, Premier Wen Jiabao proposed the long-term goal of creating a free trade zone within the SCO, and taking other more immediate measures to improve the flow of goods in the region. Accordingly, a plan consisting of 100 specific actions was signed a year later on September 23, 2004.

On October 26, 2005, during the Moscow SCO Summit, general secretary The organization said that the SCO will give priority to joint energy projects, which will include the oil and gas sector, the development of new hydrocarbon reserves and the sharing of water resources. The creation of the SCO Interbank Council was also agreed at this summit in order to finance future joint projects.

The first meeting of the SCO Interbank Association took place in Beijing on February 21-22, 2006. On November 30, 2006, within the framework of the SCO international conference: results and prospects, held in Almaty, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Russia was developing plans for the SCO Energy Club. The need to create such a club was confirmed in Moscow at the SCO summit in November 2007. Other SCO members have not committed to implementing the idea. However, at the summit on August 28, 2008, it was stated that “against the backdrop of a slowdown in global economic growth, pursuing responsible monetary and financial policies, controlling capital flows, ensuring food and energy security have acquired special significance."

On June 16, 2009, at the Yekaterinburg summit, China announced plans to provide a loan of 10 billion US dollars to the SCO member states in order to strengthen the economies of these states in the context of the global financial crisis. The summit was held together with the first BRIC summit and was marked by a joint Chinese-Russian statement that these countries want a larger quota in the International Monetary Fund.

At the 2007 SCO summit, Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi proposed an initiative that aroused great interest. He then said: “The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is good place to design a new banking system that is independent of international banking systems."

Russian President Vladimir Putin then commented on the situation as follows: “We now clearly see the defectiveness of the monopoly in global finance and the policy of economic selfishness. To solve the current problem, Russia will take part in changing the global financial structure so that it can guarantee stability and prosperity in the world and ensure progress... The world is witnessing the emergence of a qualitatively different geopolitical situation, with the emergence of new centers of economic growth and political influence... We will witness and accept participation in the transformation of global and regional security systems and the development of architecture adapted to the new realities of the 21st century, when stability and prosperity become inseparable concepts.”

SCO cultural cooperation

Cultural cooperation also takes place within the SCO. The ministers of culture of the SCO countries met for the first time in Beijing on April 12, 2002 and signed a joint statement to continue cooperation. The third meeting of ministers of culture took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 27-28, 2006.

The arts festival and exhibition under the auspices of the SCO took place for the first time during the summit in Astana in 2005. Kazakhstan also proposed holding a folk dance festival under the auspices of the SCO. Such a festival took place in 2008 in Astana.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits

According to the SCO Charter, summits of the Council of Heads of State are held annually in different places. The location of these summit meetings should be in alphabetical order names of the member state in Russian. The Charter also stipulates that the summit of the Council of Heads of Government (i.e., prime ministers) meets annually at a place previously determined by decision of the council members. The Council of Foreign Ministers summit is held one month before the annual summit of heads of state. Extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers may be convened by any two member states.

Heads of State
dateA countryLocation
June 14, 2001ChinaShanghai
June 7, 2002RussiaSaint Petersburg
May 29, 2003RussiaMoscow
June 17, 2004UzbekistanTashkent
July 5, 2005KazakhstanAstana
June 15, 2006ChinaShanghai
August 16, 2007KyrgyzstanBishkek
August 28, 2008TajikistanDushanbe
June 15-16, 2009RussiaEkaterinburg
June 10-11, 2010UzbekistanTashkent
June 14-15, 2011KazakhstanAstana
June 6-7, 2012ChinaBeijing
September 13, 2013KyrgyzstanBishkek
Heads of government
dateA countryLocation
September 2001KazakhstanAlmaty
September 23, 2003ChinaBeijing
September 23, 2004KyrgyzstanBishkek
October 26, 2005RussiaMoscow
September 15, 2006TajikistanDushanbe
November 2, 2007UzbekistanTashkent
October 30, 2008KazakhstanAstana
October 14, 2009ChinaBeijing
November 25, 2010TajikistanDushanbe
November 7, 2011RussiaSaint Petersburg
December 5, 2012KyrgyzstanBishkek
November 29, 2013UzbekistanTashkent

Future possible members of the SCO

In June 2010, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization approved the procedure for admitting new members, although no new members have yet been admitted. Several states, however, have participated in SCO summits as observers, some of which have expressed interest in joining the organization as full members in the future. The prospect of Iran joining the organization has attracted academic attention. In early September 2013, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart that Armenia would like to receive observer status in the SCO.

SCO observers

Afghanistan received observer status in 2012 at the SCO summit in Beijing, China on June 6, 2012. India currently also has observer status in the SCO. Russia has called on India to join this organization as a full member because it sees India as a critical future strategic partner. China “welcomed” India’s accession to the SCO.

Iran currently has observer status in the organization, and the country was scheduled to become a full member of the SCO on March 24, 2008. However, due to sanctions imposed by the United Nations, Iran's admission to the organization as a new member is temporarily blocked. The SCO has stated that any country under UN sanctions cannot be admitted to the organization. Mongolia became the first country to receive observer status at the 2004 Tashkent Summit. Pakistan, India and Iran received observer status at the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on July 5, 2005.

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf spoke in favor of his country joining the SCO as a full member during a joint summit in China in 2006. Russia publicly supported Pakistan's intention to gain full membership in the SCO, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a corresponding statement at the SCO meeting in the Konstantinovsky Palace on November 6, 2011.

SCO dialogue partners

The position of dialogue partner was created in 2008 in accordance with Article 14 of the SCO Charter of June 7, 2002. This article concerns a dialogue partner as a state or organization that shares the goals and principles of the SCO and wishes to establish relations of equal, mutually beneficial partnership with the Organization.

Belarus received dialogue partner status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2009 at the group's summit in Yekaterinburg. Belarus applied for observer status in the organization and was promised Kazakhstan's support in achieving this goal. However, then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov expressed doubts about Belarus's possible membership, saying that Belarus was a purely European country. Despite this, Belarus was accepted as a dialogue partner at the SCO summit in 2009.

Sri Lanka received the status of dialogue partner in the SCO in 2009 at the group’s summit in Yekaterinburg. Turkey, a NATO member, was granted dialogue partner status in the SCO in 2012 at the group's summit in Beijing. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had even jokingly discussed the possibility of Turkey refusing to join the European Union in exchange for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Relations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with the West

Western media observers believe that one of the first goals of the SCO should be to create a counterbalance to NATO and the United States, in particular in order to avoid conflicts that would allow the United States to interfere in the internal affairs of countries bordering Russia and China. And although Iran is not a member, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the SCO platform to launch a verbal attack on the United States. The United States submitted an application for observer status to the SCO, but it was rejected in 2006.

At the Astana summit in July 2005, due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and uncertainty regarding the presence of American troops in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the SCO called on the United States to set a time frame for the withdrawal of its troops from SCO member states. Shortly thereafter, Uzbekistan asked the United States to close the K-2 airbase.

The SCO has not yet made any direct statements against the United States or its military presence in the region. However, some indirect statements at recent summits were presented in Western media as a veiled criticism of Washington.

Geopolitical aspects of the SCO

Behind last years There has been much discussion and commentary about the geopolitical nature of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Matthew Brummer, in the Journal of International Affairs, tracks the effects of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's expansion in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian writer Hamid Golpira said the following: “According to Zbigniew Brzezinski's theory, control of the Eurasian continent is the key to world domination, and control of Central Asia is the key to control of the Eurasian continent. Russia and China have paid attention to Brzezinski's theories since they formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2001, ostensibly to curb extremism in the region and improve border security, but most likely the real goal was to balance US and NATO activities in Central Asia."

At the 2005 SCO summit in Kazakhstan, a Declaration of the heads of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was adopted, which expressed their “concerns” regarding the existing world order and contained the principles of the organization’s work. It included the following words: “The heads of member states note that, against the backdrop of the controversial process of globalization, multilateral cooperation based on the principles of equal rights and mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs sovereign states, a non-confrontational way of thinking and a consistent movement towards democratization of international relations, contributes to common peace and security, and encourages the international community, regardless of its differences in ideology and social structure, form new concept security based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and interaction."

In November 2005, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that the SCO is working to create a rational and fair world order and that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization provides us with a unique opportunity to take part in the process of forming a fundamentally new model of geopolitical integration.

The Chinese daily expressed this issue in the following terms: “The declaration indicates that SCO member countries have the opportunity and responsibility to ensure security in the Central Asian region, and calls on Western countries to leave Central Asia. This is the most visible signal that the summit gave to the world."

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao concluded that the US was maneuvering to maintain its status as the world's sole superpower and not give any other country a chance to create a problem for them.

An article in The Washington Post in early 2008 reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly said that Russia could send nuclear missiles to Ukraine if Russia's neighbor and former sister republic in the Soviet Union joined the NATO alliance and installed elements of a missile defense system USA. “It is terrible to say and even terrible to think that, in response to the deployment of such objects on the territory of Ukraine, which theoretically cannot be ruled out, Russia will aim its missiles at Ukraine,” Putin said at a joint press conference with then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. who was on a visit to the Kremlin. “Imagine this, just for a second.”

The International Federation for Human Rights has recognized the SCO as a “vehicle” for human rights violations.

Integration (connection, rapprochement) is one of the processes typical for the modern world. All states have long realized that international isolation does not lead to anything good. That is why countries unite into various organizations on the basis of economic, political, cultural or military-strategic cooperation. This article will discuss what the SCO and BRICS are. When did these organizations arise, and what states are part of them today?

SCO: decoding and general information

This Eurasian association was formed at the beginning of the 21st century by six states. The issue of reducing the number of military personnel in areas of common borders is what became the prerequisite for the formation of the SCO.

The decoding of the name of this organization is simple: Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Why Shanghai? Everything is very simple. The fact is that the backbone of this association was the five countries that, back in 1997, became part of the so-called Shanghai Five, having signed a corresponding agreement.

What is the SCO? Which countries are included in it? And what goals does this association of states pursue? Let's try to figure this out.

Answering the question about what the SCO is, it should be noted, first of all, that it is by no means a military bloc. Although ensuring the safe and stable development of the participating countries is the main task of this organization. We can say that the SCO is a cross between ASEAN and the fight against terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking is also included in the interests of this international organization. SCO members also do not ignore issues of economic, cultural, and scientific cooperation.

History of the organization's creation

To give a full answer to the question of what the SCO is, it is important to study the history of the creation of this organization. It all started with the signing in 1997 of an agreement on mutual military trust between five countries. These were China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The organization itself (actually, the SCO) was founded in 2001 by the leaders of these same five states. In addition, Uzbekistan also joined them.

Although the very first prerequisites for integration in this direction arose back in the late 60s. It was then that a loud conflict occurred on Damansky Island between Soviet and Chinese border guards. After this incident, the USSR and China sat down at the negotiating table to resolve the problem of mutual territorial disputes.

The SCO countries held their first meeting in the new composition in June 2002 in the northern capital of Russia - the city of St. Petersburg. It was there that the SCO Charter was signed, which officially completed the process of institutionalizing the organization.

Composition of the SCO and its participants

An international organization is characterized by a hierarchical structure. It includes several bodies: the Council of Heads of Participating Countries, the Council of Government Leaders, the Council of Foreign Ministers of States, and so on. Also within the SCO there is a permanent administrative body - the Secretariat. On this moment it is headed by a representative from the Russian Federation.

What are "SCO countries"? In other words, which states are its members?

For quite a long time, the SCO included only six countries, which founded this organization at the beginning of the third millennium. However, in 2015 (namely, July 10), the association gained two more new members from South Asia.

Thus, as of autumn 2015, all SCO countries are listed below:

  • Russia.
  • Kazakhstan.
  • Uzbekistan.
  • Tajikistan.
  • Kyrgyzstan.
  • China.
  • India.
  • Pakistan.

These are the SCO member countries. In addition, the structure of this organization includes so-called observer states. These include Belarus, Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia. Three more countries (Syria, Bangladesh and Egypt) are candidates for SCO observer states.

In addition, the SCO is trying to closely cooperate with other international organizations (UN, ASEAN, CIS and others). Their representatives regularly receive official invitations to participate in SCO summits.

Goals of the organization and aspects of cooperation

The SCO states cooperate in several areas. This:

  • military security;
  • economics and trade;
  • the science;
  • culture and humanitarian sphere.

What are the main objectives of this integration association? It is no secret that the main task of the SCO is to strengthen the policy of good neighborliness between its members, as well as jointly counter the manifestations of international terrorism and extremism. In addition, participating countries are looking for ways to achieve inclusive economic growth in their region.

The place of the SCO in the political arena of the planet

Of course, the key players in the SCO are China, Russia and India. These countries account for about 95% of the organization's total population and total GDP. It should be noted that the overall trade turnover between SCO members is characterized by positive dynamics (and this is in the context of the current and deep economic crisis).

Many experts note that the organization acts as a kind of bridge that “pulls” China into the political field of Central Asia, thereby bringing it closer to Russia. The same can be said about India and Pakistan.

For the Central Powers, participation in programs within the SCO is also quite beneficial. After all, this region is surrounded by two geopolitical giants - China and the Russian Federation. However, in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, all Central Asian countries act as equal members who play an important role in resolving all issues.

So far, of the five Central Asian states, only Turkmenistan is not a permanent member of the SCO.

BRICS: briefly about unification

BRICS is an international association that includes five independent states. These are Brazil, Russia, India, China and all these countries are characterized by rapid rates of economic development.

Initially, this association had the abbreviation BRIC. If you write its founders in English letters and in a certain order (Brazil, Russia, India, China), then the origin of the abbreviated name of the group will become obvious. This abbreviation existed until 2011, when South Africa joined the organization. And the name was replenished with one more letter and began to have modern look: BRICS (BRIC+S).

Some experts argue that it was not by chance that this appeared on the geopolitical map of the world. Indeed, under certain circumstances, these five countries may become the dominant economic systems on the planet by the middle of the 21st century. Their markets, thanks to huge reserves of natural and human resources, are actively and very quickly developing.

However, whether these states will be able to create a powerful political union is still unknown. If this does happen, then BRICS could become an influential counterweight to the United States on the world political and economic arena.

BRICS summits and expansion prospects

Three BRICS members are located in Eurasia, one in South America and one in Africa. All these states are among the top thirty in the world in terms of GDP. It is possible that BRICS will expand over time. Thus, experts call Iran, Turkey, and Indonesia the most realistic candidates for joining the association.

The main tool for establishing political dialogue between the BRICS member countries is its summits. The first full-fledged meeting took place in Yekaterinburg in 2009, the second - a year later in the city of Brasilia. To date, six BRICS summits have already taken place, but all decisions made by group members are purely advisory in nature.

Finally...

IN modern world irreversible. Different states unite in organizations to cooperate economically and culturally, and together resist external military threats.

This article discussed what the SCO is and what the BRICS group is. The first organization united the countries of Asia, and the second - five large states from different continents. But Russia and China take an active part in both associations.

The content of the article

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION, SCO is a subregional international organization that includes 6 states - Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The total territory of the SCO member states is 61% of the territory of Eurasia, its total demographic potential is a quarter of the world's population, and its economic potential includes the most powerful Chinese economy after the United States. Official working languages ​​are Russian and Chinese. Headquarters in Beijing.

The symbols of the SCO include a white flag with the organization's coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms depicts two laurel wreaths on the sides, in the center - a symbolic image of the Eastern Hemisphere of the earth with the outlines of the earth's landmass, which is occupied by the "six", above and below - the inscription in Chinese and Russian: "Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

Main stages of development of the SCO.

The predecessor of the SCO was the so-called “Shanghai Five” (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Tajikistan), formed as a result of the signing Agreements on confidence-building in the military field in the border area(1996) and Agreements on mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area(1997). The rapprochement of these countries was dictated primarily by the threat to the security of their border territories from the main source of instability in Central Asia - Afghanistan, where there was a civil war between the troops of the Northern Coalition and the Taliban. The first of these two agreements was signed in Shanghai, giving rise to the term "Shanghai Five". Joint work at the summits in Almaty (1998), Bishkek (1999), Dushanbe (2000) made it possible to create an atmosphere of what came to be called the “Shanghai spirit” - to develop an atmosphere of mutual trust, through the first experience of mutual consultations to come to a mechanism for achieving consensus and voluntary agreement to comply with the provisions of the agreements reached. Gradually, the range of issues expanded to the areas of foreign policy, economics, environmental protection, including the use of water resources, culture, etc. All this led to the need to formalize the system of summits and consultations into a new regional association.

On June 14–15, 2001, a meeting of the heads of six states – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – took place in Shanghai, at which the creation of the SCO was announced. As adopted at the summit Declarations The main goals were declared to be maintaining and ensuring peace, security and stability in Central Asia, as well as developing cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural, educational, energy, transport, environmental and other fields. Another important document is Convention against terrorism, separatism and extremism For the first time, it established at the international level the definition of separatism and extremism as violent, criminally prosecuted acts. Its signing comes as China worries about separatist uprisings near the borders with Central Asia, where the Uyghurs, Turkic-speaking Muslims who inhabit western China, live. Another no less interested country, Uzbekistan, has the largest population of all Central Asian states and is most susceptible to manifestations of separatism on the part of radical supporters of the restoration of the Islamic caliphate in the region.

In June 2002, the second meeting of the heads of SCO member states was held in St. Petersburg, at which three documents were signed - Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Agreement between the SCO member states on the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure And Declaration of the Heads of SCO Member States. The Charter legally enshrined those proclaimed a year earlier in Declarations guidelines for the development of the SCO. This charter gives the “six” the status of an international organization and is a basic document that determines, along with the main areas of cooperation, the internal structure and mechanism for forming a common course and building relationships with other countries and organizations.

The charter was signed in 2002 and ratified by the Federation Council in 2003.

On the basis of the 2001 Convention, in order to improve interaction in the fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, illicit drug and weapons trafficking, as well as illegal migration, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was created, which received the status of a permanent SCO body in 2002. Its functions include coordinating the actions of law enforcement agencies and intelligence services of the SCO states.

In May 2003, the third key summit meeting in the history of the SCO took place in Moscow. At it, documents were signed defining the operating procedures of the main SCO bodies, the mechanism for forming the budget and other issues related to the current work of various SCO divisions. The coat of arms and flag of the organization were adopted. The Russian-speaking Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Russia, Zhang Deguang, was chosen as the first executive secretary of the SCO. According to most analysts, we can talk about the practical completion of the organizational development of this organization at the Moscow summit, which was noted in the political Declaration adopted following the meeting. It also set the task of developing a clear mechanism for foreign policy coordination of the actions of SCO members both in Central Asia and in general on the world stage.

Main bodies of the SCO.

The operating procedure of the SCO bodies was finally determined only at the Moscow summit in 2003. It was decided that all main structures of the SCO will begin full-fledged work in January 2004. By this time, it is planned to complete the construction of the headquarters in Beijing and preparatory work embassies of member countries in Beijing to support the activities of the secretariat during the initial period of work. The list of major organs includes:

Council of Heads of State– annual SCO summits in the capitals of participating countries.

Council of Heads of Government.

Council of Foreign Ministers(CMID) - the first meeting was held in November 2002. Prefaces high-level meetings, coordinates the positions of participants and prepares key documents for signing by heads of state (as in May 2003), and also accepts its own appeals (on the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention against International terrorism and the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism in 2002).

Meetings of heads of ministries and departments– the first meetings of defense ministers took place back in 2000 within the framework of the Five, and since then they have been held on a regular basis.

Secretariat(Beijing) - it is planned to employ up to 40 people and should begin work in 2004.

Regional anti-terrorism structure(RATS) (Bishkek). In August 2003, anti-terrorism exercises of the armed forces of the SCO countries “Interaction-2003” took place. Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan (Tajikistan as an observer) took part in the first stage of the exercise in Kazakhstan. The second stage took place in China. Full operation of the RATS headquarters is expected in 2004.

Problems and prospects of the SCO.

Pessimistic experts point out that the two most obvious problems of the SCO are too large divergences of interests between its members and uncertainty about its status due to the duplication of many SCO functions by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which recently formed in Dushanbe, which includes four of six members of the SCO. In addition, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have not yet ratified the SCO charter, adopted in 2002. This hinders the registration of the SCO with the UN and, as a consequence, international recognition of its subjectivity. At the same time, countries such as Iran, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the USA and regional organizations such as ASEAN and the EU are showing interest in cooperation.

The question of the foreign policy orientation of the participating countries remains one of the key ones when assessing the development prospects of this organization. Analysts note that initiatives such as the project of a transport corridor from Shanghai to St. Petersburg - the prototype of the revived “Great silk road“- was accepted by the SCO as an alternative after the EU and the USA supported the project of the transport corridor from Europe to Asia TRACECA (TRACECA, Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia).

The most clear differences between the SCO countries emerged regarding the war in Iraq in 2003. Then Russia, together with France and Germany, tried to prevent the outbreak of war, China verbally condemned the actions of the anti-Iraq coalition, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan took a generally neutral position, and Uzbekistan unconditionally supported military campaign. At the same time, the fact that Uzbekistan withdrew in 2002 from the one formed in 1997 regional organization GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and early entry into the SCO in 2001 speaks of the growing weight and attractiveness of this organization for the countries of the region.

The importance of the SCO.

The international weight of this organization is determined not only by the combined demographic and territorial potential of its member countries, but also by the emerging strategic partnership of the two nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia and China. This determines the role of the SCO in building a collective security system both in Central Asia and in the Asia-Pacific region. The SCO is an open organization to admit new members who share its basic principles. Although security issues were initially decisive in the formation of the SCO and remain one of the highest priorities, at the same time it would be incorrect to regard it as a military organization. This status is unacceptable due to the participation of SCO member countries in international unions and organizations with various obligations. So for China, its participation is generally an exception to the rule, since this country traditionally professes a policy of non-alignment with blocs of any states, adhering to independence and independence in foreign policy.

As many experts note, membership in the SCO largely meets the geopolitical interests of its participants. Thus, some SCO initiatives are obviously aimed at weakening American influence in the region, which corresponds to China’s desire to weaken American influence in the region and meets Russia’s desire to create a multipolar world, voiced under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Primakov. According to Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking after the Moscow summit in 2003, “The SCO must become a modern organization of a new type, meeting the requirements of a multipolar world.”

Mikhail Lipkin

APPLICATION

CHARTER OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

Meeting of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, St. Petersburg, June 7, 2002

The Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, which are the founding states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization),

based on the historical ties of their peoples;

Seeking to further deepen comprehensive cooperation;

desiring through joint efforts to contribute to strengthening peace, ensuring security and stability in the region in the context of the development of processes of political multipolarity, economic and information globalization;

Convinced that the creation of the SCO contributes to more effective joint use of emerging opportunities and countering new challenges and threats;

considering that interaction within the SCO helps to unlock the enormous potential of good neighborliness, unity and cooperation between states and their peoples;

based on the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for common development, established at the meeting of the heads of six states in Shanghai (2001);

Noting that compliance with the principles set forth in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China on confidence-building in the military field in the border area of ​​April 26, 1996 and in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area dated April 24, 1997, as well as in documents signed during summit meetings of the heads of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan from 1998 to 2001, made an important contribution to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and throughout the world;

reaffirming its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, other generally recognized principles and norms of international law relating to the maintenance of international peace, security and the development of good neighborly and friendly relations, as well as cooperation between states;

guided by the provisions of the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of June 15, 2001;

agreed on the following:

Goals and objectives

The main goals and objectives of the SCO are:

strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness between member states;

development of multidisciplinary cooperation in order to maintain and strengthen peace, security and stability in the region, promote the construction of a new democratic, fair and rational political and economic international order;

joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations, the fight against illegal drug and weapons trafficking, other types of transnational criminal activities, as well as illegal migration;

encouraging effective regional cooperation in political, trade, economic, defense, law enforcement, environmental, cultural, scientific and technical, educational, energy, transport, credit and financial and other areas of common interest;

promoting comprehensive and balanced economic growth, social and cultural development in the region through joint actions on the basis of equal partnership in order to steadily increase the level and improve the living conditions of the peoples of the Member States;

coordination of approaches to integration into the world economy;

promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the international obligations of member states and their national legislation;

maintaining and developing relations with other states and international organizations;

interaction in the prevention of international conflicts and their peaceful resolution;

joint search for solutions to problems that will arise in the 21st century.

Principles

The SCO member states adhere to the following principles:

mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity states and the inviolability of state borders, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of force in international relations, renunciation of unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas;

equality of rights of all member states, search for common points of view based on mutual understanding and respect for the opinions of each of them;

gradual implementation of joint actions in areas of common interest;

peaceful resolution of disagreements between member states;

the SCO is not directed against other states and international organizations;

preventing any illegal actions directed against the interests of the SCO;

conscientious fulfillment of obligations arising from this Charter and other documents adopted within the SCO.

Areas of cooperation

The main areas of cooperation within the SCO are:

maintaining peace and strengthening security and confidence in the region;

searching for common points of view on foreign policy issues of common interest, including in international organizations and international forums;

development and implementation of measures to jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, illicit drug and weapons trafficking, other types of transnational criminal activity, as well as illegal migration;

coordination of efforts on disarmament and arms control issues;

support and encouragement of regional economic cooperation in various forms, promoting the creation of favorable conditions for trade and investment in order to gradually implement the free movement of goods, capital, services and technology;

efficient use of existing infrastructure in the field of transport and communications, improvement of the transit potential of member states, development of energy systems;

ensuring rational environmental management, including the use of water resources in the region, implementing joint special environmental programs and projects;

providing mutual assistance in preventing natural and man-made emergencies and eliminating their consequences;

exchange of legal information in the interests of developing cooperation within the SCO;

expanding interaction in the fields of science and technology, education, healthcare, culture, sports and tourism.

The SCO member states can, by mutual agreement, expand the areas of cooperation.

1. To fulfill the goals and objectives of this Charter, the following operate within the Organization:

Council of Heads of State;

Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers);

Council of Foreign Ministers;

Meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments;

Council of National Coordinators;

Regional anti-terrorist structure;

Secretariat.

2. The functions and operating procedures of the SCO bodies, with the exception of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, are determined by the relevant provisions, which are approved by the Council of Heads of State.

3. The Council of Heads of State may decide to create other SCO bodies. The creation of new bodies is formalized in the form of additional protocols to this Charter, which come into force in the manner prescribed by Article 21 of this Charter.

Council of Heads of State

The Council of Heads of State is the highest body of the SCO. It determines priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization’s activities, resolves fundamental issues of its internal structure and functioning, interaction with other states and international organizations, and also considers the most pressing international problems.

The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The chairmanship at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State is carried out by the head of state - the organizer of the next meeting. The location of the next meeting of the Council is determined, as a rule, in the order of the Russian alphabet of the names of the SCO member states.

Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers)

The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) adopts the Organization's budget, considers and resolves major issues related to specific, especially economic, areas of development of interaction within the Organization.

The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The Council meeting is chaired by the head of government (Prime Minister) of the state in whose territory the meeting is being held.

The location of the next meeting of the Council is determined by prior agreement of the heads of government (prime ministers) of the member states.

Council of Foreign Ministers

The Council of Foreign Ministers considers issues of the current activities of the Organization, preparation for a meeting of the Council of Heads of State and consultations within the Organization on international issues. The Council may, if necessary, make statements on behalf of the SCO.

The Council usually meets one month before the meeting of the Council of Heads of State. Extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers are convened on the initiative of at least two member states and with the consent of the foreign ministers of all other member states. The location of the regular and extraordinary meetings of the Council is determined by mutual agreement.

The Council is presided over by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the state member of the Organization on whose territory the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State is held, for the period starting from the date of completion of the last regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State and ending with the date of the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, when carrying out external contacts, represents the Organization in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for the work of the Council.

Meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments

In accordance with the decisions of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers), heads of line ministries and/or departments of member states regularly hold meetings to consider specific issues of developing interaction in relevant areas within the SCO.

The chairmanship is carried out by the head of the relevant ministry and/or department of the state organizing the meeting. The place and time of the meeting are agreed upon in advance.

To prepare and conduct meetings, by prior agreement of the member states, working groups of experts can be created on a permanent or temporary basis, which carry out their activities in accordance with the work regulations approved at meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments. These groups are formed from representatives of ministries and/or departments of member states.

Council of National Coordinators

The Council of National Coordinators is the SCO body that coordinates and manages the current activities of the Organization. It carries out the necessary preparations for meetings of the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) and the Council of Foreign Ministers. National focal points are appointed by each Member State in accordance with its internal rules and procedures.

The Council meets at least three times a year. The Council is presided over by the national coordinator of the member state of the Organization on whose territory the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State will be held, for the period starting from the date of completion of the last regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State and ending with the date of the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

The Chairman of the Council of National Coordinators, on behalf of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, may represent the Organization in carrying out external contacts in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for the work of the Council of National Coordinators.

Regional anti-terrorism structure

The regional anti-terrorist structure of the member states of the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism of June 15, 2001, located in the city of Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic), is a permanent body of the SCO.

Its main tasks and functions, principles of formation and financing, as well as the procedure for its activities are regulated by a separate international treaty concluded between the member states and other necessary documents accepted by them.

Secretariat

The Secretariat is a permanent administrative body of the SCO. It provides organizational and technical support for events held within the SCO and prepares proposals for the annual budget of the Organization.

The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Secretary, who is approved by the Council of Heads of State on the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

The Executive Secretary is appointed from among the citizens of the Member States on a rotational basis in order of the Russian alphabet of the names of the Member States for a period of three years without the right of extension for the next term.

Deputy Executive Secretaries are approved by the Council of Foreign Ministers on the recommendation of the Council of National Coordinators. They cannot be representatives of the state from which the Executive Secretary is appointed.

Officials of the Secretariat are recruited from among citizens of Member States on a quota basis.

In the performance of their official duties, the Executive Secretary, his deputies and other officials of the Secretariat shall not seek or receive instructions from any Member State and/or government, organization or individual. They must refrain from any actions that could affect their position as international officials responsible only to the SCO.

Member States undertake to respect the international nature of the duties of the Executive Secretary, his deputies and the staff of the Secretariat and not to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

The location of the SCO Secretariat is Beijing (People's Republic of China).

Financing

The SCO has its own budget, which is formed and executed in accordance with a special Agreement between the member states. This Agreement also determines the amount of contributions that Member States make annually to the Organization's budget on a cost-sharing basis.

Budget funds are used to finance permanent SCO bodies in accordance with the above-mentioned Agreement. Member states independently bear the costs associated with the participation of their representatives and experts in the activities of the Organization.

Membership

The SCO is open to admit as members other states in the region that undertake to comply with the goals and principles of this Charter, as well as the provisions of other international treaties and documents adopted within the SCO.

The decision on the admission of new members to the SCO is made by the Council of Heads of State upon the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the basis of an official application from the interested state sent to the current Chairman of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

The SCO membership of a member state that violates the provisions of this Charter and/or systematically fails to fulfill its obligations under international treaties and documents concluded within the SCO may be suspended upon the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers by a decision of the Council of Heads of State. If this state continues to violate its obligations, then the Council of Heads of State may decide to expel it from the SCO from a date determined by the Council itself.

Any member state has the right to withdraw from the SCO by sending the depositary an official notice of withdrawal from this Charter no later than twelve months before the date of withdrawal. The obligations that arose during the period of participation in this Charter and other documents adopted within the SCO bind the relevant states until they are fully implemented.

Relations with other states and international organizations

The SCO can enter into interaction and dialogue, including in certain areas of cooperation, with other states and international organizations.

The SCO may grant an interested state or international organization the status of dialogue partner or observer. The procedure and procedures for granting such status are established by a special agreement between the Member States.

This Charter does not affect the rights and obligations of member states under other international treaties to which they are parties.

Legal capacity

The SCO, as a subject of international law, has international legal capacity. It enjoys in the territory of each Member State such legal capacity as is necessary for the implementation of its goals and objectives.

The SCO enjoys the rights legal entity and may, in particular:

– conclude contracts;

- acquire movable and real estate and dispose of it;

– act in courts as a plaintiff or defendant;

– open accounts and make transactions with funds.

Decision making procedure

Decisions in the SCO bodies are made by agreement without voting and are considered adopted if none of the member states objected to them during the approval process (consensus), with the exception of decisions on suspension of membership or expulsion from the Organization, which are made according to the “consensus” principle minus one vote of the Member State concerned.”

Any member state can express its point of view on individual aspects and/or specific issues of decisions taken, which is not an obstacle to making a decision as a whole. This point of view is recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

In cases of disinterest of one or more Member States in the implementation of certain cooperation projects of interest to other Member States, the non-participation in them of these Member States does not prevent the implementation of such cooperation projects by interested Member States and, at the same time, does not prevent the said States -members to join in the implementation of such projects in the future.

Execution of decisions

Decisions of SCO bodies are executed by member states in accordance with procedures determined by their national legislation.

Monitoring the fulfillment of the obligations of the member states to implement this Charter, other treaties in force within the SCO and decisions of its bodies is carried out by the SCO bodies within their competence.

Permanent Representatives

Member states, in accordance with their internal rules and procedures, appoint their permanent representatives to the SCO Secretariat, who will be part of the diplomatic staff of the embassies of the member states in Beijing.

Privileges and immunities

The SCO and its officials enjoy privileges and immunities in the territories of all member states that are necessary to perform the functions and achieve the goals of the Organization.

The scope of privileges and immunities of the SCO and its officials is determined by a separate international treaty.

The official and working languages ​​of the SCO are Russian and Chinese.

Duration and entry into force

This Charter is concluded for an indefinite period.

This Charter is subject to ratification by the signatory States and shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of deposit of the fourth instrument of ratification with the Depositary.

For a State that has signed this Charter and ratified it later, it shall enter into force on the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification with the depositary.

After the entry into force of this Charter, it is open for accession by any state.

For the acceding state, this Charter comes into force on the thirtieth day from the date of receipt by the depositary of the relevant documents of accession.

Dispute Resolution

In the event of disputes and disagreements arising in connection with the interpretation or application of this Charter, Member States will resolve them through consultations and negotiations.

Changes and additions

This Charter may be amended and supplemented by mutual agreement of the Member States. Decisions of the Council of Heads of State to make changes and additions are formalized in separate protocols, which are its integral part and come into force in the manner provided for in Article 21 of this Charter.

Reservations

Reservations cannot be made to this Charter that contradict the principles, goals and objectives of the Organization, or that may interfere with the performance of any SCO body of its functions. If at least 2/3 of the Member States have objections, the reservations must be considered to be contrary to the principles, purposes and purposes of the Organization or to interfere with the performance of any organ of its functions and have no legal effect.

Depository

The depositary of this Charter is the People's Republic of China.

Registration

This Charter, in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, is subject to registration with the Secretariat of the United Nations.

Done in the city of St. Petersburg on June 7, 2002, in one copy in Russian and Chinese, both texts being equally authentic.

An original copy of this Charter shall be deposited with the depositary, which shall forward certified copies to all signatory States.

For the Republic

Kazakhstan

For the Chinese

People's

Republic

For the Kyrgyz

Republic

For the Russian

Federation

For the Republic of Tajikistan

For the Republic of Uzbekistan

Literature:

Systematic history of international relations in 4 volumes. Events and documents. 1918–2003. Ed. A.D. Bogaturova. Volume three. Events. 1945–2003. Section IV. Globalization. Chapter 13. M, NOFMO, 2003
Lukin A., Mochulsky A. Shanghai Cooperation Organization: structural design and development prospects. – Analytical notes. M., MGIMO, vol. 2(4), February 2005