The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is holding its 19th summit in the Kyrgyz capita of Bishkek today
Agenda of this two-day summit includes about twenty issues, including establishment of the SCO Bank and joint counteraction to modern challenges and threats, according to Russia’s TASS.
Leaders of eleven countries have arrived in Bishkek for participation in the summit — presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as Indian and Pakistani prime ministers arrived as summit participants and leaders of Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia arrived in the Kyrgyz capital as observers.
A delegation-level meeting is also planned with the participation of the four SCO observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently has eight full members — China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia are four observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. ACEAN, CIS, Turkmenistan and the United Nations are guest attendances.
The SCO now represents around 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area and around 20% of GDP.
