Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 14 June 2023, Tashkent hosted a "round table" on the topic: "Samarkand process: prospects for the modernization of the SCO."

Speaking at the opening of the event, Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the ISMI under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighted a number of key conditions that contribute to the growth of the potential and international prestige of the SCO, its growing role in ensuring security, stability and sustainable development in the vast Eurasian space.

First, as Akramjon Nematov pointed out, Central Asia is and should remain the core of the SCO, act as an important link between all the member states of the Organization, a kind of bond, an integrator. The stability of Central Asia is an important factor of interconnectedness, its security is a key condition for trans-regional sustainable development. Consequently, the processes taking place here must continue to remain in the focus of the Organization’s attention even in the context of the expansion of its composition and geography of activities.

Secondly, the expert stressed, an important factor contributing to the prosperity of the SCO is the strict adherence of the member countries of the Organization to the fundamental principles - mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for common development.

In other words, he noted, the activities of the SCO are based on dialogue and mutual trust, while the decision-making process by consensus, despite a certain complexity, remains inclusive, based on compromise.

Thanks to this, the interests of all SCO member countries are taken into account when making decisions.

"The above circumstances have made the SCO an open association, ready to interact with different countries and international organizations," said the representative of the ISMI.

Thirdly, Akramjon Nematov is convinced that the key to the international legal attractiveness of the SCO is its non-bloc status, openness, non-direction against third countries or international organizations, equality and respect for the sovereignty of all participants, refusal to interfere in internal affairs, and the prevention of political confrontation and confrontational rivalry.

Throughout its existence, the SCO has firmly adhered to these principles and has not squandered resources on confrontation. On the contrary, the Member States concentrated their efforts on solving the problems of internal development, on which security and stability in the space of our Organization directly depended.

At the same time, as the expert noted, the last SCO summit in Samarkand once again confirmed these principles. The decisions adopted at the summit contained answers to many urgent challenges that the international community is facing today.

“They set truly new “strategic guidelines”, acting as important “vectors” for the development of the SCO for decades to come in such areas as transport connectivity, digitalization, industrial cooperation, food and environmental security,” he explained.

“These are very popular and practically significant areas of cooperation, especially in the new global realities, when we are witnessing the emergence of serious challenges to sustainable development,” Akramjon Nematov concluded.

The international "round table" was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in partnership with the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and with the assistance of the International Institute of Central Asia. It was attended by heads and experts of leading analytical centers of the SCO member states.