BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Shanghai Cooperation Organisation heads of state adopted the Bishkek Declaration on Tuesday at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall, marking the group’s 25th anniversary. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the leaders present.
The declaration reaffirmed the 10 members’ commitment to the U.N. Charter, backed what they called a more representative multipolar order, and stressed the SCO’s non-military character. Anadolu Agency said leaders also signed more than 20 other documents on security, drug trafficking, transport, energy, the environment, and technology, including artificial intelligence. Kyrgyz reporting has put the signed set as high as 28.
The sitting designated Lahore, Pakistan, as the SCO tourism and cultural capital for 2026–2027 and approved closer work with the African Union Commission. Pakistan is due to take the chairmanship from Kyrgyzstan and host the next Council of Heads of State in 2027. The members are Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
On the sidelines, Modi told Putin the war in Ukraine must end “for humanity’s sake.” Putin said Moscow was being asked to resume talks and that “we don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used the Bishkek platform to say Tehran would reciprocate if the United States returned to the June memorandum. Coming up: BRICS leaders meet in New Delhi on Sept. 12–13. The standing calendar is at The Watch.
Sources: Anadolu Agency; BBC; The Associated Press.
