Shavkat Mirziyoyev Addresses SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the meeting of the Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), held on 1 September 2025, in Tianjin, China.

In his address, the President expressed sincere gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping for organizing the summit and the warm reception, and congratulated attendees on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in World War II. Special congratulations were extended to Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.

President Mirziyoyev highlighted the symbolic significance of Tianjin, a city blending China’s ancient culture with dynamic industrial and technological development, and noted the harmony between Confucian philosophy and the SCO’s mission: mutual respect, support, and consideration of the interests of each member state.

He drew attention to pressing global challenges, including a systemic trust crisis, escalating conflicts, weakening multilateral institutions, and fragmentation of the global trading system. In this context, he stressed that the SCO’s role as a platform for equal dialogue and partnership is especially important for maintaining peace and stability.

The President emphasized the need to enhance the Organization’s effectiveness, strengthen its institutions, and expand its membership. He stated that the “SCO model” should remain open and cooperation-oriented, including engagement with countries from other regions and the Global South.

Security issues received particular attention. President Mirziyoyev proposed adopting an SCO Declaration on Strengthening Multilateral Partnership for Nuclear Security, resuming the work of the Meeting of Ministers of Internal Affairs and Public Security, and reviving the “SCO–Afghanistan” Contact Group.

In the economic sphere, he highlighted the priority of expanding trade and economic cooperation, creating resilient production and logistics chains, encouraging mutual investment, and signing an Agreement on Simplifying Trade Procedures. Among the proposed initiatives were an SCO Regional Center for Critical Materials, an Energy Consortium, a network of venture companies, and a dedicated electronic portal for business.

Special focus was also given to transport and transit coordination, including the creation of a “Unified SCO Transport Space” linked with the Belt and Road Initiative. Measures on green transformation were discussed, including the launch of a Regional Platform for Climate Adaptation and the use of AI technologies for forecasting environmental risks.

President Mirziyoyev underlined the importance of developing cultural ties and “people-to-people diplomacy” through the International Festival of Folk Arts, the SCO Online University Campus, student and young professional competitions and olympiads, as well as initiatives in tourism and medical exchange.

Specifically, he proposed exploring projects such as the launch of an “SCO Tourist Corridor” and an SCO Medical Tourism Alliance.

Concluding his speech, the President congratulated Kyrgyzstan on assuming the SCO chairmanship and expressed confidence that the Tianjin Declaration, the SCO Development Strategy through 2035, and other final documents will provide a reliable foundation for strengthening multifaceted cooperation in the region.