PNN – The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will begin its work in the capital of Kazakhstan, this meeting will focus on the situation in Afghanistan, security cooperation and the countries of Central Asia.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the heads of 15 countries of Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey and Turkmenistan will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Astana, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also participate in this meeting. Kazakhstan will chair the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana on July 3 and 4 as the rotating chairman.
The presence of China, Russia and Iran in this meeting, taking into account the darkness of their relations with the United States, makes the anti-American statements of the officials on this occasion very likely. India also does not want to be surrounded by anti-American attitudes. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and his intention to cooperate in a conversation with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassem Jomart Tokayev.
Objectives of the Astana meeting
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization unites countries with a population of about 3.5 billion people, so its members face a wide range of problems: Terrorism, geopolitical tensions, environmental pollution, climate change, underdeveloped infrastructure and imbalance in the use of today’s technologies.
The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has emphasized that the situation in Afghanistan needs serious attention in the upcoming meeting. According to Tokayev, it is necessary to continue efforts to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and create conditions for the country’s long-term stability.
Political analysts say: Kazakhstan is trying to establish stability in Afghanistan with the aim of reducing the risks caused by terrorist activity and immigration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is going to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, and China has always been one of the leading trade and investment partners in this group.
At the initiative of Kazakhstan, 2024 has been declared as the year of ecology of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and according to the announcement of the presidential office of this country, international documents in the field of ecology, protection of natural areas, ecotourism and combating climate change have been compiled and are going to be approved.
Experts say: This summit in itself will be a very important event in terms of the global agenda, and there are many talks on the sidelines of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This summit is expected to be one of the most important events in the Global South, because in addition to the leaders of China, Turkey and Russia, the heads of Pakistan, Iran and many others will also be present.
The geopolitical importance of sitting in the heart of Central Asia
Central Asia has become more important in recent years, especially after the Ukraine war; In addition to the main sources of raw materials for important productions, the countries of this region are located on the highway that connects many eastern countries to the west. From an economic point of view, Kazakhstan’s hosting of this summit provides an opportunity to promote regional trade and investment. The development of infrastructure and the strengthening of communication technologies will be one of the most important topics of this meeting, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and North-South Corridor (INSTC) is one of the important topics that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can facilitate new opportunities for growth and economic integration.
From a security point of view, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has played a role in strengthening cooperation against terrorism, extremism and separatism. This summit will probably witness the reaffirmation of the commitment to collective security and the development of new strategies to deal with emerging threats.
Kazakhstan has been the chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization since July 2023, and after this summit, the chairmanship will be handed over to China. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and in 2017, India and Pakistan became members of this organization. Iran joined the SCO in 2022 and Belarus is expected to join the SCO in the summer of 2024.