Kyrgyzstan will take over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for the 2025–26 term, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced Friday at the opening of the SCO summit in Tianjin.
“In 2025–2026, the Kyrgyz Republic will chair the SCO. We will work in close contact with our Kyrgyz partners and provide full support whenever necessary,” Ushakov said.
The summit, which opens today, is expected to draw more than 20 heads of state, making it a record gathering. Attendees include the presidents of Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, as well as the prime ministers of India, Pakistan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos and the Maldives.
A central feature of the summit will be the adoption of the SCO Development Strategy through 2035 — a guiding document that will help steer regional cooperation in security, economic integration and stability over the coming decade.
Leaders are also expected to sign several key agreements aimed at strengthening the organization’s legal and institutional frameworks among member states.
