Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- “The signing of a Memorandum of Commitment with Iran is expected in Samarkand, which paves the way for this country’s full membership in the SCO. Moreover, the “Samarkand platform” will launch the processes of “replenishment” of the SCO with dialogue partners and observers. Among them are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain and the Maldives.

However, the Samarkand summit is remarkable not only for "breakthrough decisions". It will be the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of the SCO countries since 2019, it will bring together a fairly representative composition of guests - the participation of 15 heads of state and over 400 journalists has already been confirmed.

In addition to the SCO member states, guests will also participate in the summit. For example, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Representatives of international and regional organizations will also arrive - the UN, the CIS, UNESCO and others.

A number of bilateral meetings will be held on the sidelines of the event, where the parties will be able to exchange views on the most pressing issues of a regional and global nature.

But I would especially like to note that today Samarkand is reviving its historical role as a center of diplomatic attraction. It is not for nothing that the president’s article speaks of the "Samarkand spirit" as a symbol of the embodiment of cooperation, mutual understanding and friendship.

There are not so many places in the world that, according to their historical background and modern experience, could claim to be successful platforms that can unite, bring together various states around the same table, sometimes even with diametrically opposed views.

“Samarkand can just be called such a platform. Thanks to diplomacy, the authority of the President of Uzbekistan, Samarkand has repeatedly proved that it is able and can become a platform for cooperation of a new formation - cooperation based on dialogue, mutual understanding and trust," said Eldor Aripov, director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies.