SCO Evolves from Security Cooperation to Connectivity Enhancement
During the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 31 August 2026 to 1 September 2026, the Eurasian association expanded cooperation from the security domain into the economic field. The 26th annual Summit also marked the 25th anniversary of SCO.
In particular, the Summit plans to reinforce regional connectivity and transnational transport corridors. Indian PM Modi succinctly summarized the new SCO mantra under the twin S-C-O acronym, standing for Security, #Connectivity, and Opportunity.
Both China and India have transnational connectivity projects traversing SCO member states. China was more concerned about reducing transport costs and increasing the speed of the land component of its Belt and Road Initiative (#BRI) to link the East with the West. India and Russia pushed the North-South Corridor linking South Asia to Northern Europe through the Caspian Sea.
In addition, the SCO Summit discussed other corridors, including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) Corridor, the Trans-Caspian Corridor, and the Trans-Afghan Corridor. SCO has even established a Special Working Group on Transport Cooperation.
In the Bishkek Declaration 2026, SCO strongly condemned the US and Israel for initiating military strikes on Iran and upheld the rights of Iran to use nuclear technology for civilian energy use.
At the behest of India, SCO added English to its Charter as an official working language. SCO and the African Union Commission signed an MoU to structure a dialogue framework. Kyrgyzstan passed the baton to Pakistan, which will host the next SCO Summit in 2027.
The SCO member states collectively represent 43% of the world’s population, with India and China as two of the world’s largest countries with a billion-plus population. In terms of GDP, the SCO accounts for 23% of the global economic output. Originally perceived as a counterweight to NATO, SCO now seems to have broadened its scope from security to economic spheres.