SCO countries adopt final declaration: Is Ukraine mentioned?
Photo: Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) approved the Tianjin Declaration following the summit in China. However, the document does not mention Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the SCO’s final declaration.
The member states reaffirmed their readiness to cooperate on security issues, including risks related to artificial intelligence, and expressed their intention to expand military cooperation.
The participants condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran, stressed the inadmissibility of damage to nuclear facilities, and rejected the E3 initiative to reinstate UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran.
The declaration also included positions against terrorism and double standards in its assessment, in support of efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, as well as commitments to nuclear non-proliferation and keeping outer space free of weapons.
Other provisions included recognizing states’ right to regulate the internet within their borders, developing cooperation in countering drug trafficking, and merging the statuses of observer and dialogue partner.
At the same time, the war in Ukraine was not mentioned. Russian leader Vladimir Putin said that Russia’s position is that "the security of one country cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of another."
"We highly appreciate the efforts of China, India, and our other strategic partners aimed at facilitating a settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. I would also note that the understandings reached at the recent Russia–US summit in Alaska, I hope, are moving in the same direction, opening a way to peace in Ukraine," he said.
SCO Summit
From August 31 to September 1, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit was held in the Chinese city of Tianjin, with more than 20 world leaders in attendance.
As previously reported, Chinese leader Xi Jinping presented his own vision for the global order after the war during the summit.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin also arrived at the event. In Tianjin, he was personally greeted by Xi Jinping. The Kremlin head will remain in China for four days.
In addition, on September 3, China will hold a grand military parade to showcase its military power. The parade, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, will feature the country’s latest weaponry.
