Kyrgyzstan to host next SCO Heads of State Council

The next meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Council will be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2026, as announced in the final declaration of the 25th summit in Tianjin.

According to the declaration, the upcoming term will carry the slogan: “25 Years of SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

The SCO member states expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation among their defence ministries.

“The member states, expressing readiness to develop effective cooperation among defense ministries, noted the proposal to prepare and sign an agreement on confidence-building measures in the military field,” the declaration stated.

SCO members also emphasised the need to reform the United Nations to adapt it to today’s political and economic realities. The declaration marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the UN. It highlights the importance of ensuring representation of developing countries in UN governing bodies through carefully planned reforms.

The declaration further called for the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and full humanitarian support for local residents. “[Member states] stress the necessity of a prompt, complete, and sustainable ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and intensified efforts to achieve peace, stability, and security for all residents of the region. They note that the only viable path to peace and stability in the Middle East is a comprehensive and just resolution of the Palestinian issue,” the text reads.

SCO also affirmed the right of all states to regulate the internet and exercise sovereignty over their national internet segments.

By Khagan Isayev