24th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Astana, Kazakhstan, was an important gathering that brought together leaders from various countries to discuss regional cooperation and security issues, underscoring the SCO’s role in addressing these critical matters.

Kazakhstan hosted the summit, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presiding over the event. Astana, the capital city, provided a strategic location for the discussions. The summit witnessed the participation of several prominent world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. India was represented by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.

One of the most significant outcomes of the summit was the admission of Belarus as the 10th full member of the SCO. Belarus had previously held observer status within the organization, and its elevation to full membership marked a notable expansion of the SCO. The SCO, initially established in 2001 with five member states, has seen significant growth over the years. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023. With Belarus joining in 2024, the organization now comprises ten full members. The next
Council of Heads of State Meeting of the SCO will be held in China. As the rotating presidency of the SCO has now passed from Kazakhstan to China, the Chinese city of Qingdao has been designated as the SCO’s tourism and cultural capital for 2024-2025.