SCO Astana Meeting: Key Outcomes and Global Impact
Amid growing global tensions, the recent SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting unfolded new alliances and strategies, promising to redefine Asia's geopolitical future.
22 resolutions were signed at the SCO meeting in Astana, aiming to enhance global cooperation. What were the key outcomes of these resolutions? How will these decisions impact global security and economic policies? What new strategies did the SCO members discuss in Astana to combat cybercrime and terrorism? And how will these changes affect the Global South?
A recent meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, brought together some of the most influential foreign ministers from across Asia to discuss critical global issues: from combating terrorism to enhancing cybersecurity, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is at the forefront of shaping the future. But what makes this meeting so significant?
The SCO was set up in 2001 to focus on regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange in Central Asia. Its founding members include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with China and Russia, which are also key members of BRICS. Pakistan and India, another BRICS member, joined later, with Iran, now a BRICS member since January 2024, joining last year.
The SCO's main goal is to improve security cooperation, including counter-terrorism efforts, and to encourage economic collaboration among its members.
In contrast, BRICS is a more global association, focused on promoting peace, security, and development across the globe. It's all about economic growth and reforming global financial institutions to better represent emerging economies.
How do these diverse goals impact the relationships between member states?
While China, Russia, India, and Iran are both SCO and BRICS members, the SCO's regional security focus and BRICS's global economic agenda show that they have different purposes. By looking at updates on the SCO, we can gain a deeper understanding of the broader geopolitical landscape affecting the Global South. It's like seeing two sides of the same coin—both vital, but with different impacts on our world.
The recent SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting, held on 20-21 May in Astana, Kazakhstan, was a big deal. It brought together top diplomats from member states to talk about and plan for some of the most pressing regional and global issues. This meeting was a warm-up for the upcoming Astana SCO Summit, which is happening on July 3-4. It set the stage for broader discussions and more comprehensive agreements, with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres confirming his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting scheduled for 3-4 July in Astana.
The meeting got off to a somber start with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu welcoming the delegates and calling for a moment of silence to honor the tragic deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other diplomats who perished in a helicopter crash on May 19. This touching moment showed the deep respect and unity among SCO members, even in the face of tragedy.
There were some big names in attendance, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and representatives from India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. This was Belarus’s first Foreign Ministers' Council as it moved towards full membership. This diverse assembly emphasized the SCO's extensive geographical and political reach, encompassing a significant portion of the Eurasian continent. With such a diverse group of leaders, you can bet the discussions were anything but ordinary.
The meeting's agenda was pretty extensive, with a focus on strengthening regional security and stability. A lot of the meeting was about how to fight terrorism, extremism, and separatism – referred to as the "three forces of evil". These issues are particularly pressing for SCO member states, many of which are still facing ongoing threats from various extremist groups.
The meeting has been planned to exchange views on the situation in the Gaza Strip and in the Middle East in general and the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. A special place was expected to be occupied by the issues of SCO assistance for the stabilization in Afghanistan, given the importance of this factor for the security of the SCO space.
Cybercrime and drug trafficking were also on the agenda. The ministers agreed that cyber-attacks are becoming more common in our digital world and that we need to take steps to protect our national and regional interests by strengthening our cybersecurity measures. They also talked about ways to stop drug trafficking, which is a big problem for public health and security in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also talked about the importance of the "Shanghai Spirit," which is all about mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for different cultures, and working together to achieve common goals. He put forward four key suggestions: maintaining strategic autonomy while strengthening unity and cooperation, sharing security responsibilities, pursuing inclusive and win-win cooperation, and embracing openness and inclusiveness. The idea is to create a cooperative environment that benefits everyone.
The meeting also saw the signing of 22 resolutions to improve cooperation between countries in different areas, including politics, diplomacy, trade, the economy, culture, and humanitarian issues. These agreements show how the SCO is taking a broad approach to making sure that things stay stable and that countries develop in different ways. They cover both short-term security issues and long-term development goals.
As the current SCO chair, Kazakhstan has played a big part in shaping the organization's agenda and initiatives. Since taking on the chairmanship in July 2023, Kazakhstan has truly stepped up, organizing over 180 events to drive the SCO's mission forward.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted Kazakhstan's commitment to making the SCO more effective and encouraging closer cooperation between member states. He made it clear that we need to take a joined-up approach that considers everyone's interests and keeps looking for ways to find common ground. Tokayev suggested setting up the SCO Initiative on World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony, a document that would bring together international efforts to resolve conflicts and promote peaceful development.
Kazakhstan has also been proactive in addressing regional security issues. President Tokayev made it clear that the best way to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism is through joint efforts and the implementation of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy. He also said it's important to update how we approach cybersecurity. This means identifying cyber threats early and developing ways to stabilize information infrastructure.
On top of all that, Kazakhstan has also been focusing on environmental issues. They've declared 2024 as the SCO Year of the Environment. This initiative is all about tackling the big issues of climate change and environmental degradation and ensuring the region develops sustainably. Kazakhstan's work in this area was a big talking point at the meeting. They talked about how they can work together more on environmental protection and disaster prevention.
The SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting greatly impacts global strategic stability and international relations, focusing on regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange. Like BRICS, the SCO promotes inclusive economic globalization and equitable development for a balanced international economic system amid global uncertainties. The SCO's growing role in tackling global issues like terrorism and cybercrime signifies its increasing influence. Committed to the UN Charter and world multipolarity, the SCO strives for fair global governance.
The agreements from the SCO meeting will boost trade, investment, and infrastructure development, enhancing regional stability and fostering stronger cultural and humanitarian cooperation. They promote cybersecurity measures and combat terrorism, creating a more secure and interconnected region committed to inclusive economic growth and global strategic stability. This groundwork sets the stage for the July leaders' meeting, where further decisions will solidify these initiatives.