24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government Held in Moscow

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 November 2025, Moscow hosted the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), chaired by the Russian Federation.

The “restricted session” was attended by the Prime Ministers and heads of delegations of SCO member states: Alexander Turchin, Prime Minister of Belarus; Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of India; Mohammad Aref, First Vice-President of Iran; Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan; Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China; Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan; Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan; Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation; Kohir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of Tajikistan; and Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. Also present were SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbaev and Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Executive Committee, Ularbek Sharsheev.

The heads of government discussed current trends in global economic development, ways to strengthen the economic dimension of SCO activities, and practical improvements in the Organization’s operations.

In the expanded session, the meeting included leaders from Mongolia and Qatar, senior representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of SCO executive bodies, the CIS, EAEU, CICA, the SCO Business Council, and the SCO Interbank Consortium. Participants discussed prospects for trade, economic, and cultural-humanitarian cooperation, including engagement with partners and potential investors.

SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbaev emphasized the importance of consolidated efforts by member states to enhance the efficiency of sectoral mechanisms, implement leaders’ decisions, and achieve tangible results. Special attention was paid to creating favorable conditions and incentives for member states, establishing an SCO Development Bank, and involving commercial banks in financial cooperation within the Organization.

Reports on the activities of the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium for 2024–2025 were presented.

Following the meeting, the heads of government adopted a Joint Communiqué and signed a number of decisions related to implementing the Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation, developing railway connections, and social development and social protection systems. The Organization’s budget for the upcoming year was also approved.

It was agreed that the next SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting will be held in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2026.