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Your Excellency Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to accept the invitation to participate and address the Conference dedicated to the upcoming 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The meeting of the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, held on 5 July 2000 in Dushanbe, is historic. The Dushanbe Summit was a turning point not only in the history of the Shanghai Five, but also was of key importance for the future development of the entire vast region of Eurasia. The Summit gave a start to the emergence of an interaction format within a new type of partnership, known today to the whole world as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
In 2026, the SCO will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Over the years, the SCO has come a long way from the Shanghai Five to a prominent and effective regional organization for multifaceted cooperation, bringing together ten member states.
The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), whose history spans over thirty years, operates in the same region as the SCO and has similar objectives and areas of cooperation. For decades, the two regional structures have had a positive experience of cooperation, which can serve as an example for other organizations. Suffice it to note that nine out of ten SCO member states are also members of CICA, while the Republic of Belarus, which joined the SCO at the Astana Summit in 2024, holds observer status within CICA.
Just like the SCO, CICA was initially created to build confidence on the Asian continent. Just like the SCO, CICA has now developed into a mature multilateral structure for multifaceted cooperation that goes far beyond security issues and regional stability. However, just like in the SCO, security issues continue to play a primary role in CICA.
The SCO and CICA share the same approaches to many fundamental problems of our time, especially in the field of security, such as the settlement of regional conflicts, strengthening the non-proliferation regime, responding to modern challenges and threats, including terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking, transnational crime, illegal arms trade and others.
Significant potential between the two associations lies in the field of economic cooperation for sustainable development, including in promoting transport corridors and multimodal transport, information and communication technologies and digitalization, food security, tourism and much more. Finally, prospects are opening up in the development of the humanitarian potential of our countries and peoples and cooperation in the field of culture and education.
At the same time, CICA and the SCO should be considered as complementary regional structures, whose combined efforts can bring good results.
Strengthening synergy is a key priority of the current Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship of CICA, based on the understanding that closer interaction is essential to addressing common challenges and promoting shared interests amid the ongoing crisis of multilateralism.
CICA and the SCO have been partners since 2014, when the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Secretariats of the two structures. The Protocol on Cooperation between the CICA Secretariat and the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure was signed in 2017.
The current transformation of CICA into a full-fledged international organization may create new opportunities for institutional partnership between our structures.
The Conference theme rightly determines Central Asia as the “core” of the SCO, which is indicative of its strategic significance and the active role its states play in fostering regional cooperation. Central Asia has always been a region of paramount importance, a crossroads of civilizations and a vibrant centre for economic and cultural exchange. Today, it serves as a key driver of stability and development across the entire Asian continent.
Though internally diverse, Central Asia is united by centuries-old traditions of economic, social and cultural interaction.
Over the past few years, we have seen Central Asia gain increasing prominence on both the regional and global stage. Central Asian countries are seeking to join forces to respond effectively to emerging challenges and threats.
It is noteworthy that Central Asia is encircled exclusively by CICA Member States. Currently, four of the five Central Asian states are CICA members, whereas one country, Turkmenistan, holds observer status. In light of these facts, it is clear why CICA holds a special role in Central Asia and, conversely, why the countries of the region are deeply invested in the organization’s success.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Geopolitics and geoeconomics manifest themselves in multiple dimensions and give rise to both competition and cooperation, all of these processes unfolding at the same time. Unfortunately, these processes in our era are not unfolding in the most favourable direction; the growing rivalry of global forces leads to an increase in the number and intensity of conflicts on the planet.
All the more encouraging are the examples of confidence building measures and genuine cooperation that contribute to the strengthening of security and the well-being of peoples. Both the SCO and CICA are taking active steps in this direction.
Asia stands out as a diverse region, with its vast populations, natural resources, ancient history and rich tapestry of civilizations. That being said, Asia has great potential for resolving differences between countries and improving the quality of interstate relations. To this end, international regional organizations can and must be an important element in maintaining regional peace, security, stability and prosperity.
I am confident that actively unfolding processes of CICA’s transformation into a full-fledged international organization and the reform of the SCO will contribute to strengthening security, peace and stability in the region, ensuring sustainable development and connectivity, and fruitful cooperation between the two organizations in the interests of one of the world’s largest regions.
Thank you for your attention.
