Central Asia's Core Role in SCO Debated at Dushanbe Forum

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Senior diplomats from across the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathered in Dushanbe this week to examine a pointed question: whether Central Asia should be recognized as the strategic and geographic core of the bloc — and what that means for the region's future.

The international conference, held in the Tajik capital under the theme "Central Asia — the Core of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: A Space of Peace and Joint Development," brought together deputy foreign ministers from SCO member states alongside representatives of international and regional organizations, experts, and research institutions.

Uzbekistan was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Mirvohid Azimov, who led the country's delegation.

Discussions centered on Central Asia's pivotal role within the SCO framework, its contribution to sustainable development, and its importance as a stabilizing force in a region that borders some of the world's most volatile geopolitical fault lines. Participants also addressed the need to strengthen connectivity, broaden trade and economic cooperation, and refine the organization's operational effectiveness.

The conference reflects a broader effort within the SCO to articulate Central Asia's weight within the organization — a group that now spans from Eastern Europe to South Asia and counts China, Russia, India, and Pakistan among its members alongside the Central Asian states.