The meeting is being chaired by Mikhail Mishustin.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks
Statement by Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Statement by Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
Group photo session of the heads of delegations taking part in a meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
Mikhail Mishustin with First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref and Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang before a meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of Mongolia Gombojavyn Zandanshatar
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Group photo session of the heads of delegations taking part in a meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
Meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format. In the background: Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk
Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during a meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
Meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the expanded format
List of the heads of delegations from the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, observer countries and invited representatives:
SCO member states:
Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus – Alexander Turchin;
Minister of External Affairs of India – Subrahmanyam Jaishankar;
First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran – Mohammad Reza Aref;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Olzhas Bektenov;
Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic – Head of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic – Adylbek Kasymaliyev;
Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China – Li Qiang;
Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan and Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan – Mohammad Ishaq Dar;
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – Mikhail Mishustin;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan – Kokhir Rasulzoda;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Abdulla Aripov;
SCO observer state:
Prime Minister of Mongolia – Gombojavyn Zandanshatar;
Dialogue partners:
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation – Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Saati;
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Russian Federation – Hamdy Shaaban;
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar – Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani;
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Kuwait to the Russian Federation – Abdulaziz Al-Adwani;
Invited state:
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation – Esen Aydogdyyev;
SCO bodies:
SCO Secretary General – Nurlan Yerkembayev;
Director of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) Executive Committee – Ularbek Sharsheyev;
President of the China Development Bank, current chair of the SCO Interbank Consortium – Tan Jiong;
Chair of the SCO Business Council – Ren Hongbin;
International organisations:
Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States – Sergei Lebedev;
Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission – Bakytzhan Sagintayev;
Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) – Farid Damirli.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin: Colleagues,
We are continuing our work at the Russia National Centre – now in an expanded format, with the participation of the invited heads of government and leaders of international organisations.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all those attending this meeting, including Mr Zandanshatar, Prime Minister of Mongolia, an SCO observer state, as well as Mr Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, and all our guests.
I propose we now proceed with our remarks in accordance with the approved agenda.
Allow me to begin on behalf of the Russian Federation.
At the September summit in China, President of Russia Vladimir Putin observed that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation “brings together like-minded partners committed to shaping a just, multipolar world order.”
Last year, the combined exports of our member states accounted for approximately 20 percent of the global total. Meanwhile, the SCO’s share of global gross domestic product reached one-third. By the end of this year, forecasts indicate it will grow even further – to 35 percent.
Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation comprises 10 member states, two observer nations, and already 15 dialogue partners. The organisation’s geography spans almost the entirety of Eurasia. It is imperative that we harness this formidable collective potential to the fullest extent to improve the prosperity of our citizens.
This has been our focus during Russia’s chairmanship of the Heads of Government Council. We have prioritised further advancement of trade, economic, investment, and financial collaboration. We have actively engaged with the Business Council, the Youth Council, the Interbank Consortium, the Forum of Heads of Regions, and other joint structures.
It is crucial to establish a fair and sustainable model for energy development, one that aligns with the principles of equality, mutual responsibility, and technological partnership.
To strengthen transport connectivity, we must expand the infrastructure of international corridors, create favourable conditions for road transport, and deploy cutting-edge digital technologies and services.
In the agricultural sector, we propose enhancing cooperation in breeding, seed production, and innovative farming. This will enable us to increase production, ensuring our consumers have access to a diverse range of high-quality foodstuffs – a vital contribution to global food security and the stability of agricultural markets.
To implement our joint plans, we require a reliable and independent financial infrastructure. A specialised expert group, initiated by Russia, will oversee its improvement. I would like to express my gratitude for the support extended to this proposal.
Colleagues,
Our collaboration spans the most promising areas, including innovation, artificial intelligence, space technology, the platform economy, and the climate agenda. During Russia’s chairmanship, we have placed particular emphasis on strengthening technological sovereignty and deepening our industrial cooperation.
Another area of growth for our economies lies in the creative industries. According to expert estimates, SCO member states account for some 37 percent of global exports in this sector. Our potential is even greater. To unlock it fully, we must launch joint projects and introduce mechanisms to support entrepreneurs in this field. I trust that all will contribute actively to addressing these tasks. Tens of millions of talented individuals reside within the SCO space, and we must support their creative endeavours.
Our peoples are bound by a shared historical memory and mutual respect for one another’s cultures and traditions. Together, we marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the founding of the United Nations. We have ample opportunities to deepen cooperation in science, education, healthcare, youth exchanges, culture, the arts, tourism, and sport. Such initiatives are undoubtedly in demand among our citizens, and we must expedite their practical implementation.
Colleagues, friends,
The guiding principles for our future joint efforts were endorsed by the heads of state in the SCO Development Strategy until 2035. President of Russia Vladimir Putin emphasised that this strategy outlines the key areas of the SCO’s activities in politics, the economy, security, and culture. I am confident that, through our combined efforts, we will ensure the fulfilment of these strategic plans.
Thank you for your attention.
I now yield the floor to Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin. Please.
Alexander Turchin: Mr Mishustin, colleagues,
Established initially as an association for political dialogue and regional security, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has substantially expanded in almost 25 years, incorporating new member states and partners, to become an influential dialogue platform for solving a wide range of issues for the peaceful co-existence and prosperity of our countries and nations.
The Tianjin Declaration of the SCO Council of Heads of State, along with the package of documents adopted by our leaders in China, fully reflects the diversity of our joint efforts.
As global economic instability persists, coupled with unilateral coercive measures, the mutually beneficial partnership within the SCO largely relies on its economic component. The importance of economic cooperation in ensuring regional security has been confirmed during the discussion at the high-level 3rd International Conference on Eurasian Security that Minsk had the honour to host in late October. According to the World Bank, in 2024, the average economic growth across the SCO exceeded the average global growth rate by almost 100 percent, while mutual trade has been growing year after year. The SCO’s economic potential truly has no limits.
The President of Belarus presented our country’s key proposals on strengthening the SCO region’s economic independence at the summit in Tianjin.
These proposals include fostering dialogue on streamlining trade within the SCO to eliminate trade barriers, increasing trade and investment, and creating an independent financial mechanism to lower sanction pressure.
As the share of national currencies in foreign trade and investment gradually grows, we can boost the effectiveness and autonomy of our economic cooperation. However, this requires building our own payment infrastructure. In this context, we support the idea of creating the SCO Development Bank that is expected to fully operate across the member states, providing additional stability and predictability to our economic links and satisfying the growing demand for investment and financing.
Another task is to create a global Eurasian transit hub, including on the EAEU – SCO track, to reduce transaction costs for businesses, expand the access to European and Chinese markets for Central and South Asian countries, and to step up the stability of trade flows under external pressure.
Our job is to implement these proposals as soon as possible. It is certainly important to increase industrial cooperation and create steady production chains, which should strengthen our technological independence and reduce our dependence on external markets. One of the essential vectors of cooperation within the SCO is to ensure food security.
Belarus fully ensures food security and is highly ranked among global food exporters. We are willing to share our experience here.
The wealth of any country is its people. Our current agenda includes expanding cooperation in education. Belarus proposes establishing a programme for young diplomats from SCO countries. If supported, we are ready to work out the practical details of this proposal.
We see great potential in creating regional professional training centres for technology-intensive industries such as robotics, industrial automation and information technology. We should discuss the possibility of SCO universities and colleges developing joint curricula specialising in these areas and organising internships at high-tech facilities and research laboratories.
These new professionals will become a strong asset for developing and transforming industrial production across the SCO.
The development of tourism is equally important. We support creating joint programmes promoting medical tourism, especially spa and wellness – the areas where Belarus can offer enormous expertise and advanced infrastructure. We will be able to boost our shared tourism potential and strengthen people-to-people contacts within the SCO space. When it comes to transport and logistics, one practical step would be boosting air transportation between the SCO cities – not only capitals but also regional centres. Direct flights will stimulate the development of interregional business relations and tourism.
Colleagues, our shared goals should find implementation in specific projects, cooperation initiatives and results that will be noticeable and tangible in every person’s life within the SCO. This is our organisation’s biggest mission. I call for your active efforts on that. Thank you.
Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Turchin.
I would like to give the floor for India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: Prime Minister Mishustin, excellencies, dear colleagues,
Let me congratulate the Russian Federation, our special and privileged strategic partner, on the presidency of the SCO Council of the Heads of Government this year. The theme of this session covers trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Let me summarise India’s approach to the trade and economic issues that were discussed in the last session.
We assess the global economic situation to be particularly uncertain and volatile currently. Supply-side risks have been aggravated by demand-side complexities. There is consequently an urgent requirement to de-risk and diversify. This is best done by as many of us forging the widest possible economic links. For that to happen, it is essential that this process be fair, transparent and equitable. India’s endeavours to conclude free trade arrangements with many of you here are relevant.
Regarding culture, India’s longstanding historical ties with SCO members makes it particularly pertinent. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Modi proposed at the Tianjin SCO Summit to launch an SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum.
As a civilizational state, India strongly believes that people-to-people exchanges lie at the core of any genuine relationship. Facilitating greater interaction between our intellectuals, artistes, sports people and cultural icons will pave the way for deeper understanding across the SCO.
We also have a growing record of collaborative activities with regard to cultural exchanges. The exposition of sacred Buddhist relics in many of your countries is a notable example. India is also willing to extend its considerable experience of heritage conservation in Southeast Asia to Central Asia.
Regarding humanitarian cooperation, this is important in an era of climate change, pandemics and conflicts. Recognizing that, we have provided cancer treatment equipment to some SCO members. Similarly, India’s supply of vaccines and essential medicines reflected that commitment during difficult times. During the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan, Indian relief assistance reached the affected areas the very same day. Our initiative for the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure also merits your attention.
Let me now turn to the modernization of SCO. As the organization continues to evolve, India strongly supports its reform-oriented agenda. We welcome centres addressing challenges such as organised crime, drug trafficking, and cybersecurity. As the organisation becomes more diverse, the SCO must be more flexible and adaptable. To this end, the long-delayed decision to make English an official language of the SCO must be prioritised.
Colleagues, Excellencies, we all recognize that the SCO must keep up with contemporary changes. That must be reflected in fresh thinking and new collaborations. India’s initiatives, such as the SCO Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and the SCO Start-Up Forum are good examples. They are aimed at promoting innovation and creativity, especially targeting the younger generation. Similarly, the recent SCO Young Authors Forum in New Delhi is a good way of strengthening people-to-people ties.
Excellencies, we must never forget that the SCO was founded to combat the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. These threats have become even more serious in the years that have passed. It is imperative that the world display zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification, no looking away, and no whitewashing. As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism and will exercise it.
In conclusion, India believes that SCO must adapt to the changing global landscape, develop an expanded agenda and reform its working methods. We will contribute positively and fully to these objectives.
I thank you.
More to be posted soon…
