SCO Summit: Kazakhstan's Tokayev echoes PM Modi on Eurasian security, human centric approach

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday and his views echoed some of the views expressed by the Indian PM in the same summit on Eurasian security and the need for human centric approach.

“Symbolically, our meeting is taking place during the celebrations of the historic dates of two close and fraternal countries – the 35th anniversaries of the independence of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate my esteemed colleagues, Sadyr Nurgoyevich Zhaparov and Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, on these historically important milestones. I wish the brotherly people's well-being and continued prosperity,” said the President of Kazakhstan.



Tokayev emphasised, over the past quarter-century, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has come a long way from the “Shanghai Five” to a major international organisation spanning much of Eurasia and bringing together nearly half of the world’s population.

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“The SCO represents a unique tapestry of countries that differ in many respects but are united in spirit, embodying in practice the principles of non-interference, respect for sovereignty, mutual trust, openness and cooperation. Today, it is a truly successful, influential and highly relevant international organisation."

“At the same time, the world in which our Organisation was established has changed substantially. We are witnessing the emergence of a new architecture of international relations. Consolidation is giving way to fragmentation, the pursuit of cooperation to geopolitical rivalry, and the search for a balance of interests to deepening fault lines. The level of mutual trust is declining, without which even the most sophisticated international institutions gradually lose their ability to respond effectively to emerging challenges."

“Against this backdrop, the very nature of our Organisation is of particular importance. The SCO operates outside the logic of military-political blocs and is not directed against any state. It is based on an entirely different political philosophy – the ‘Shanghai Spirit’, founded on the idea of working together for the sake of progress. Our overarching goal is to build a strong and prosperous SCO community,” the Kazakh President stated.

The President highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s successful chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Taking into account the results achieved, the Head of State outlined several key areas of particular importance to all countries of the “Shanghai Ten”.

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Strengthening mutual trust and cooperation in the field of security. “The SCO brings together the largest states of Eurasia, whose positions largely determine the contours of the emerging multipolar world order. This places a special responsibility on our Organisation. We consider it timely to convene an SCO Ministerial Conference on Strategic Stability and Confidence-Building Measures on the Eurasian Continent."

“The agenda of this event could include issues related to reducing military risks, preventing a new arms race and averting dangerous incidents. Of particular concern is the fact that the consequences of armed conflicts are already extending beyond the immediate areas of hostilities, affecting international markets, commercial shipping, and the resilience of energy and transport links. As a result, the risk of cross-border spillover of crises has increased significantly.

“At the same time, traditional challenges remain acute. Combating the ‘three forces of evil’ – terrorism, extremism and separatism – remains a priority of our cooperation. These threats are becoming increasingly intertwined with transnational crime, drug trafficking, illicit arms trafficking and cyber threats.

“Kazakhstan supports the goals and objectives of the Universal Centre for Countering Security Challenges and Threats, as well as the SCO Anti-Drug Centre. Their activities will enable us to bring coordination among the competent authorities of our countries to a qualitatively new level and enhance the effectiveness of our joint efforts in this area,” the President noted.

Tokayev stressed that expanding trade, economic and investment partnership is of strategic importance. He noted that, through joint efforts, trade between SCO countries is steadily approaching one trillion US dollars.

“However, in our view, economic interconnectedness does not yet fully correspond to the opportunities available to us. It is important to make maximum use of the resource, production and technological potential of SCO Member States, create new growth points and establish sustainable business ties.

Kazakhstan advocated the formation of a broad SCO trade and investment space with minimal barriers, digital procedures and well-developed transport and logistics connectivity. Tokayev believed that the establishment of SCO cross-border trade zones based on existing border cooperation centres could become an important step.

“This would make it possible to pilot simplified trade procedures, digital processes and modern settlement mechanisms. Another priority is the development of a fully-fledged investment framework," according to Tokayev.

The Kazakhstan President proposed accelerating the development of a modern transport and logistics framework for Eurasia. In his view, the geographical connectivity of states represents a strategic advantage of the SCO.

“Kazakhstan attaches great importance to aligning the Belt and Road Initiative, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the North–South Corridor, as well as prospective trade routes between Central and South Asia. Kazakhstan is ready to facilitate the advancement of transport initiatives throughout the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation."

“We support the digitalisation of customs procedures, mutual recognition of electronic documents, the application of ‘green corridors’ and other modern mechanisms. An effective solution could be the establishment of a Unified SCO Digital Transit Platform to facilitate the seamless movement of cargo from the point of origin to the final recipient.

“We propose developing and adopting an SCO Transport Connectivity Strategy through 2035,” the President of Kazakhstan emphasised.

Another priority highlighted in the Kazakh President’s address was the formation of a new technological paradigm. He noted that the rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies requires SCO countries not only to adapt to ongoing changes but also to adopt forward-looking solutions.