SCO Leaders Endorse Bishkek Declaration and Reform Global Finance

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization concluded their 26th summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, by endorsing the Bishkek Declaration and 27 strategic documents. The bloc condemned military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, stating such actions violate international law and the UN Charter. Member states called for a reform of the global financial architecture to reduce dependency on traditional reserve currencies and denounced Western sanctions and unilateral coercive measures.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the organization's global weight, noting that members represent nearly half of the world's population and one-third of global GDP. On the margins of the summit, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to reinforce their strategic alliance and with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss bilateral trade and a peaceful settlement for the conflict in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the grouping to dismantle ecosystems supporting terrorist financing and recruitment, warning that terrorism can never be a "strategic asset" for any country. He further advocated for connectivity initiatives that respect national sovereignty and called for conflicts in West Asia to be resolved through diplomacy.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, representing Türkiye as a dialogue partner, described the SCO as an indispensable component of a multipolar world order. He highlighted Türkiye's potential to facilitate SCO access to Western markets and condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. The summit concluded with Pakistan assuming the rotating chairmanship from Kyrgyzstan.