Bishkek (TDI): The Rossiya Segodnya media group and China’s Xinhua News Agency have launched the SCO Expert Forum in Bishkek as part of Kyrgyzstan’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The forum brought together heads of leading think tanks, research institutions and members of academic circles from SCO member states, observer countries and dialogue partners.
Among the participants were experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Türkiye, India, Belarus, Laos, Cambodia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking at the opening, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group Sergei Kochetkov highlighted the SCO’s evolution since its establishment 25 years ago.
He said the organization had developed from a border-focused alliance into one of the major centers of global influence and had become an important platform for dialogue and cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world.
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Kochetkov stressed the importance of strengthening trust among member states, expanding economic and cultural ties and protecting the information sovereignty of SCO countries amid growing global instability.
President of the Xinhua Institute Liu Gang said countries of the Global South were seeking new development opportunities while supporting a more equitable and orderly multipolar international system.
He emphasized the importance of closer cooperation among think tanks and research institutions, particularly through platforms such as the SCO and BRICS, to develop policy recommendations and contribute to public debate.
The forum focused on the SCO’s role amid the changing global architecture and examined key challenges facing the organization.
Participants discussed regional security, information sovereignty, trade and economic cooperation, as well as cultural collaboration among SCO countries.
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The SCO Expert Forum was held as part of the SCO Media and Think Tank Summit, organized by Xinhua and Kyrgyzstan’s national news agency Kabar.
The Bishkek forum comes as the SCO marks its 25th anniversary, with member and partner states seeking to strengthen cooperation on security, economic development, information and cultural ties amid a rapidly changing international environment.
