The Samarkand SCO Summit — what is unique and what to expect

At the upcoming Samarkand SCO summit, the leaders of the countries will gather together in person for the first time in the last three years. This will be a unique and effective opportunity to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues that have accumulated during the pandemic.

In the context of serious shifts in world politics and the economy, the value of the Samarkand Summit increases even more. It is noted that key decisions and agreements should be made at it, which will determine the future vectors of the Organization's development.
It is worth emphasizing that the SCO is not a bloc, it is an organization promoting the ideas of multifaceted cooperation and it does not pursue any geopolitical goals, does not make efforts against anyone. These principles are clearly spelled out in its Charter. And the whole history of the Organization proves strict adherence to these rules.
The summit will be attended by 15 heads of state and heads of 10 international organizations cooperating with the SCO. Thus, given the representative status and organization, this summit is intended to serve as another confirmation of the growing influence of Uzbekistan and the authority of its leader as an international politician.
Recall that Uzbekistan has been chairman of the SCO for the past year. His activities in this status reflect the accents of the new foreign policy course of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Pragmatism, dynamism and initiative have become a kind of "calling card" of Uzbek diplomacy in recent years. The independent and comprehensive verified foreign policy of Shavkat Mirziyoyev made it possible to balance the interests of "large", "medium" and "small" countries in the SCO space. According to analysts, this gives Tashkent an important advantage — the trust of all SCO countries, which makes it possible to confidently promote major regional and global initiatives through this platform. 
Uzbekistan's conceptual approach to the question of what the SCO should be in the new era can be seen in the priorities it has put forward — trade, industrial and technological cooperation, strengthening transport and economic interconnectedness, innovation, digital transformation and a green economy. 
Uzbekistan invites the SCO countries to rethink the value of multilateral cooperation in a period of geopolitical and economic upheavals at the global level. Therefore, it is expected that at the Samarkand SCO summit Shavkat Mirziyoyev will make a number of breakthrough initiatives and proposals designed to significantly update the agenda and modernize the activities of this Organization.
There is growing interest in the SCO's potential at the international level. It is believed that the core of the Organization are the countries of Central Asia. In fact, the SCO was created to develop a new format of cooperation in this region. Its constructive contribution to stability, security and the establishment of multilateral cooperation in Central Asia is an indisputable fact.
Today, the SCO is entering a serious stage of transformation and this process is due to both the expansion of its numerical composition and the changing realities inside and around the Organization. Thus, a Memorandum on Iran's commitments is expected to be signed at the Samarkand summit, which will open the country a direct path to membership in the SCO. In addition, Memoranda on granting the status of a dialogue partner will be signed with Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Approval of applications for partner status is expected with Bahrain and Maldives.
Nevertheless, Central Asia, according to experts, should continue to remain the core of the SCO, since it is the nodal region of its expanding space. That is why it is in the interests of the SCO to strengthen positive and irreversible processes in Central Asia. This is the key to the overall success of the Organization.
A number of important decisions are planned to be signed within the framework of the summit. 30 agreed documents have already been prepared, aimed at strengthening the multifaceted interaction of the SCO with bringing cooperation to a new level. At the same time, according to the organizers, this list will be further expanded.
The main final document of the summit will be the Samarkand Declaration, which will reflect the common approaches of the SCO countries to solving regional and global problems with the designation of priorities for the development of the organization.