System adjustment: Putin noted the SCO's role in the security of Eurasia

The SCO will help lay the foundations for the creation of a new security system in Eurasia. Vladimir Putin stated this on September 1 at a meeting of the Council of Heads of the organization's member states in China. Today, the status of the site is noticeably increasing, including due to the growing economy — the total volume has already approached $ 30 trillion. The expansion of the association is also possible: some leaders are actively advocating for attracting new members, and applications from ten countries are already being considered. The schedule of the head of state on this day includes a series of bilateral meetings, in particular, with Narendra Modi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both leaders are expecting Vladimir Putin on an official visit and express their willingness to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis. How the world community reacted to the historic summit and to whom the SCO presidency passed the baton — in the Izvestia article.

What was included in the final declaration of the SCO summit

The historic summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ended in Tianjin on September 1. It brought together delegations from more than 20 countries, led by state leaders, as well as representatives of key international organizations. They all met in the main pavilion of the Meijiang International Center, where the central event took place — a meeting of the Council of Heads of State. As the host of the summit, it was inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader called on all SCO states, despite the turbulent situation in the international arena, to firmly adhere to the "Shanghai spirit" and move forward, regardless of the "future full of upheavals and transformations."

"Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become the largest regional organization in the world, bringing together 26 participants cooperating in more than 50 areas, with a combined economic potential approaching $30 trillion," he said.

Other leaders of the SCO member states also delivered speeches. Everyone tried to touch on the most exciting aspects, while their theses often overlapped. This proves once again that the SCO members are thinking in the same direction. Thus, the head of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, called for the expansion of the organization. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted the SCO's special role in the fight against terrorism. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov devoted a significant part of his speech to the development of the association, since it was this country that took over the presidency in 2025-2026. Thus, the first task will be to ensure long—term stability, and the second will be to realize the potential of economic cooperation.

Many of the statements made at the summit were included in the final Tianjin Declaration, a central document that defines countries' approaches to addressing pressing issues on the global and regional agenda. Thus, the SCO members condemned the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, pointed out the inadmissibility of damaging nuclear infrastructure during military conflicts and advocated strict compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Among other things, the parties condemned terrorism and agreed to support the efforts of the international community to ensure peace and development in Afghanistan. In addition, the SCO opposed the Eurotroika initiative to restore the UN Security Council's anti-Iranian sanctions, noting its illegality.

The participants also agreed to develop military cooperation, which, according to experts, has long been the cornerstone of cooperation between the member States.

— However, this organization is unlikely to turn into NATO or the CSTO. Cooperation through the SCO will not only not contribute to the formation of a new military alliance in the Eurasian space, but, on the contrary, will strengthen the sense of security of all member states, especially small ones," Yang Chen, professor at Shanghai University of International Studies, told Izvestia.

The summit resulted in several interesting innovations. First, the participants agreed to establish the SCO Development Bank in the near future. Secondly, the statuses of "observer" and "dialogue partner" should be combined. And, undoubtedly, one of the most striking proposals is Xi Jinping's "global governance" initiative, which has already been replicated by many media outlets. It assumes that all countries, regardless of size, power or wealth, should have equal opportunities to participate in the discussion of global issues. At the same time, any unilateral actions are considered unacceptable. By the way, Vladimir Putin supported the idea of his Chinese colleague and suggested discussing it in more detail.

What Vladimir Putin said at the SCO summit

Traditionally, special attention was focused on the speech of the Russian president. Usually, the head of state spent September 1, Knowledge Day, in another "company", congratulating schoolchildren or students. Now, the heads of state representing half of the world's population and a third of the world's GDP are at the table.

— The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is really impressive. For example, the average increase in the gross domestic product of the member countries last year was more than 5%, while industrial production increased by 4.6%. Counter-trade is also steadily growing. All of this is above the global figures. National currencies are increasingly being used in mutual settlements," said Vladimir Putin.

The Tianjin Declaration clearly demonstrates the versatility of the SCO, including the development of the economic sector.

— In other words, the SCO is being economized, because a large number of points, even more than in previous years, are devoted, for example, to the development of artificial intelligence, energy stability, and food security. The organization goes into "pragmatics". By doing so, the SCO shows that security issues are perceived much more broadly for it," Alexander Korolev, Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute of Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.

Against this background, the organization is attracting more and more countries — more than 10 new applications have already been received to join the SCO as an observer or dialogue partner, the Russian president said.

The SCO is now making a tangible contribution to strengthening the atmosphere of cooperation and mutual trust throughout the Eurasian continent: the structure helps lay the political and socio-economic prerequisites for the formation of a new stability system in Eurasia, preventing attempts by some states to ensure their security at the expense of the security of others, Vladimir Putin stressed.

Moscow adheres to the same approaches with regard to Ukraine. He recalled once again that the conflict arose as a result of a coup d'etat, when the leadership, which did not support the country's accession to NATO, was eliminated. The second reason is the West's constant attempts to draw Ukraine into the alliance, "which, as we have repeatedly stressed and said over the years, poses a direct threat to Russia's security," Putin stressed. Nevertheless, the head of the Russian Federation noted the progress in the settlement, recalling the need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis.

"The understandings reached at the recent Russian—American summit in Alaska, I hope, also go in this direction, opening the way to peace in Ukraine," Putin said, thanking the partners for their willingness to help resolve the crisis.

It is important for the member countries of the association to know about the situation in Ukraine directly from the President of Russia, experts say. The fact is that the SCO is no longer only a regional, but also a macro—regional platform for discussing security issues in Eurasia, Ekaterina Koldunova, director of the MGIMO ASEAN Center, told Izvestia. Russia was initially one of the main driving forces of the organization, therefore, in an expanded format, its voice is of particular importance.

"It is through cooperation with key global players such as China and India, as well as other SCO regional partners, that Russia can promote its initiatives in Eurasia, including the idea of indivisible and equal security," she said.

Who did Vladimir Putin hold talks with at the SCO

Despite the fact that the day of the head of state began with the summit events, he devoted the lion's share of his working time to the negotiation marathon. A full-fledged conversation took place with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: this was the first face-to-face meeting in 2025. The bilateral Russian-Indian talks were held at the Tianjin Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which temporarily became the residence of the head of the Russian state. However, the communication started literally "from the wheels": the Russian president offered to give his colleague a ride. Upon arriving at the venue of the meeting, the heads of state had a one-on-one conversation in the car for almost an hour. The Western media has already rushed to call this "limo diplomacy," hinting at a joint trip between Putin and Trump in Anchorage.

Narendra Modi called the talks meaningful. The leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine: the Indian side reiterated that it welcomes all recent efforts to find a peaceful settlement. Now the Russian president, whom the prime minister called a friend, is eagerly awaited in India in December. The Ukrainian issue was also discussed at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

— We are grateful to our Turkish friends for their significant contribution to the political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. Since May 2025, three rounds of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations have already taken place at the Istanbul site, which have made it possible to advance in resolving a number of practical issues in the humanitarian field. I am sure that Turkey's special role in these matters will continue to be in demand," the Russian leader added.

Vladimir Putin was also pleased with the pace of development of bilateral trade — the trade turnover increased by 3% in the first half of the year. The head of the Russian Federation is expected to visit Turkey. "We have a sincere relationship based on trust. Our relations are developing without being influenced by current circumstances," Erdogan said.

The Presidents of Russia and Iran also met in an expanded format. Vladimir Putin said that Moscow and Tehran are constantly in dialogue on important international topics, including the situation around the Iranian nuclear program. Masoud Pezeshkian, for his part, stressed that the comprehensive strategic agreement between Iran and Russia can expand bilateral cooperation. He even took personal control of removing all barriers and obstacles along the way.

Vladimir Putin had a brief conversation with other leaders. In particular, with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, Presidents of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Tin.

Curiously, the international reaction has focused not on the scale of the Shanghai Summit, but rather on the mood of its participants. So, the American CNN drew attention to the footage where Xi Jinping is captured laughing in the company of Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi. Obviously, behind such a friendly atmosphere of dialogue, the West sees satisfaction from the agreements between the three great powers, which have already been dubbed "The Dragon, the Bear and the Elephant" in the media. The union of the three leaders as a whole did not give rest to many other leading media. The BBC saw this as a clear rapprochement between India and China, as well as a desire to reset relations amid Donald Trump's tariff threats. However, the world media almost unanimously recognized that the SCO, despite everything, is on the path of development.