[News Terms] Shanghai Cooperation Organization to Hold Video Summit Meeting in Early July

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a political, economic, and security consultative body led by China and Russia.

On April 26, 1996, the leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan gathered in Shanghai, China, and signed the "Treaty on Enhancing Military Confidence in the Border Area," launching the group as the "Shanghai Five."

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after signing a joint statement following a summit meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, last March.
[Photo by Xinhua Moscow/ Yonhap News]

On June 15, 2001, with the accession of Uzbekistan, the "Shanghai Five" was reorganized into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. With the addition of India and Pakistan on June 9, 2017, and Iran on September 17, 2021, the SCO now has nine full member states. In 2005, the United States attempted to participate as an observer but was rejected. Sri Lanka, T?rkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates are dialogue partner countries.

The SCO defines terrorism, separatism, and extremism as the "three evils" and seeks joint responses to these threats. It also aims to establish security in Central Asia and Eurasia and to strengthen cooperation among member states in political, economic, military, and cultural fields.

Since most full members are Asian countries and many are in opposition to the United States, the European Union (EU), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and since the dialogue partner countries also tend to be pro-China and pro-Russia, some view the SCO as an organization created to counterbalance the US and NATO.

India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 30th (local time) that the 22nd SCO Summit will be held virtually on July 4, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is serving as the SCO chair for the first time this year and has been preparing to host the summit in its capital, New Delhi. India also consecutively hosted the SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting and Foreign Ministers' Meeting in April and May.

Regarding the reason for holding the SCO summit virtually, the Indian daily Times of India reported that there appeared to be disagreements among participating countries about the event schedule. As a result, visits to India by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were canceled.