Guiding spirit

Peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial partnerships among the SCO countries strengthen regional security and sustainable development

The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries, gathering together on Wednesday and Thursday at the 24th summit of the organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, will jointly strive to achieve peace, security, sustainable development and prosperity in the Eurasian space, revealing their visions and strategies for the further development of the SCO and the strengthening of the "Shanghai Spirit".

The SCO has a high international reputation due to the wide recognition of its goals, objectives and the principles embodied by the "Shanghai Spirit", such as mutual respect and trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for different civilizations and independent choice of the path of political and economic development, active promotion of the principle of good neighborliness and friendship, and openness to the development of mutually beneficial multilateral relations.

It is the principles of the "Shanghai Spirit" that create a favorable environment for peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial partnership of countries with very different political and cultural traditions, as well as levels of economic and social development.

The uniqueness of the SCO lies in the fact that, unlike other multilateral associations, it has managed to unite countries with different political, economic and cultural systems — 26 including those with observer status and dialogue partners.

And therefore, the organization's agenda is no longer regional; it already has many global aspects.

In an environment of growing geopolitical uncertainty and tension, trade wars and conflicts, the Shanghai Spirit, which shuns ideological and confrontational methods in international relations, acts as a counterbalance, offering a path to peace and development through dialogue and joint efforts.

In the modern world, the principles of the "Shanghai Spirit "embody the main content of a new type of international relations and represent the direction of development toward a more just, equitable and rational international order.

The SCO, being one of the canters of the emerging multipolar world, stands for compliance with the principles laid down in the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international law.

And therefore, the participation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the summit emphasizes the international significance of this forum and will contribute to more active cooperation between the SCO and the United Nations structures in strengthening security and sustainable development in the Eurasian region and throughout the world.

The organization is taking all possible measures to maintain regional stability and security.

The SCO initially concentrated almost entirely on the fight against the "three evil forces": terrorism, extremism and separatism. Today, the organization's security agenda has expanded to encompass international information security, the fight against drug trafficking, and the fight against cross-border organized crime. In addition, there are a lot of other challenges and security threats that are also on the SCO agenda.

The efforts of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO are an important factor in combating terrorism, thus ensuring regional security and stability.

The joint actions and coordination of the counterterrorism efforts of the SCO members make it possible to effectively counter terrorism, extremism, separatism and other threats and maintain peace and stability in the SCO region.

According to a statement by the director of the Executive Committee of SCO RATS, Ruslan Mirzayev, intelligence officers from member countries of the SCO prevented 181 terrorist attacks in 2023 alone.

In the economic dimension, the SCO is currently implementing such priority projects as the green economy, transport and interconnectedness, agriculture, energy, as well as the development of digital technologies and their implementation.

At the same time, the development and adoption, on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, of the SCO New Economic Dialogue Program, covering such areas as innovative development, digitization, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, will allow for the expansion of industrial and technological cooperation and the development of industries of the future.

China will take over chairmanship from 2024-25, which will undoubtedly bring concrete and significant results in increasing the effectiveness of the organization's activities and its influence in the international arena.

Under the leadership of China, the SCO will keep up with the times, achieve new successes in its development, and establish itself as an important factor of stability and cooperation, not only in the region, but also beyond its borders.

China plays a key role in the SCO, being the largest economy and most populous member state. It actively promotes the development of the region by investing in infrastructure projects through the Belt and Road Initiative.

China acts in the SCO not only as an economic leader, but also as an initiator of important global initiatives aimed at solving the key problems of our time based on the rich experience of mutually beneficial and mutually respectful multilateral cooperation accumulated over the past more than 20 years within the SCO based on the principles of the "Shanghai Spirit" strengthening regional security and sustainable development in the organization's wide area.

China's three global initiatives represent a comprehensive approach to addressing contemporary challenges. The Global Development Initiative, supported by nearly 100 countries and international organizations, aims to reduce poverty, ensure food security, combat climate change and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Global Security Initiative offers a new vision for international security based on the principles of multilateralism, respect for sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes. It contributes to strengthening international stability and conflict prevention, as evidenced by China's active participation in UN peacekeeping missions, where it is the largest supplier of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the Security Council.

The Global Civilization Initiative emphasizes the importance of respect for cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, countering hegemony and the imposition of values. It promotes mutual understanding and cooperation between different cultures.

These initiatives, contribute to building a more just, secure and harmonious world.

The author is former director of the International Institute of Central Asia, former secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Uzbekistan's former foreign minister. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.