Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit Marks 25th Anniversary in Bishkek

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its 25th-anniversary summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 30–31, 2026. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and host President Sadyr Japarov opened the two-day meeting. The agenda focused on regional security, connectivity, trade and a multipolar global order.

Russian and Chinese Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping will attend the SCO summit in Bishkek

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states, the SCO now has ten full members—China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus—representing roughly 40 % of the world’s population and more than a third of global GDP (PPP). Recent geopolitical shifts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the United States-Iran tension, have heightened the bloc’s role as a venue for non-Western powers to coordinate policy.

South China Morning PostAssociated PressPutin, Xi, and Pezeshkian in Kyrgyzstan: the petroyuan era and the end of dollar dominance that will change oil markets forever Russian and Chinese Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping will attend the SCO summit in Bishkek Al Jazeera (website)Brussels SignalPutin and Xi are meeting in Bishkek as Iran and the U.S. trade strikes. Here’s what’s on the table at the summit (with video)

• Membership – 10 full members plus 15 dialogue partners such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Jerusalem Post

• Trade – Bilateral trade between China and Kyrgyzstan reached US$11.7 billion in the first seven months of 2026, driven by Chinese EVs, batteries and photovoltaic products.

Global Times

• Infrastructure – The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway has completed all temporary access roads and power-supply facilities on the Kyrgyz section; construction has begun on 26 of the 29 planned tunnels and on 40 of the 50 bridges.

Global Times

• Energy finance – Over 90 % of energy trade among Russia, China and Iran is now settled in yuan, roubles or rials rather than the US dollar.

Putin, Xi, and Pezeshkian in Kyrgyzstan: the petroyuan era and the end of dollar dominance that will change oil markets forever

• Xi called for greater representation of developing countries in international affairs and pledged 100 scientific-technological projects with member states over the next three years.

South China Morning Post

• Sadyr Japarov highlighted the summit’s multipolar theme, signed a bilateral treaty of permanent good-neighborliness with China, and stressed Kyrgyzstan’s readiness to advance the CKU railway.

Global Times

• A TASS report scheduled for September 1, 2026 notes that Putin will again stress United Nations reforms.

The Jerusalem Post

The summit underscores the deepening strategic alignment between China and Russia while giving India, Iran and Pakistan a platform to balance relations with the West. Advancing projects such as the CKU railway and promoting energy settlements outside the dollar aims to create alternative economic networks that could reshape Eurasian trade flows and influence international governance.

Associated Press

Sources uniformly describe the summit’s objectives; no substantive contradictions were identified. Detailed agreements on specific security mechanisms and the exact timeline for the CKU railway’s completion remain unreported.

Global Times

• “This process is objective and, frankly, irreversible, a fact that is already clear to everyone.” — Xi Jinping

The Jerusalem Post

• “While it may not entirely shape the agenda, it gives New Delhi a first-hand view of the region and allows it to hedge its position with others,” — Dinakar Peri, Carnegie India

Associated Press

• “As a result, Central Asia is gaining additional opportunities for more active integration into the global economy," Baetov said.” — Ayaz Baetov

Global Times

• September 1, 2026 (scheduled) – Putin is expected to reiterate the UN reform agenda at the SCO Plus meeting, according to TASS.

The Jerusalem Post

• The SCO presidency will rotate to Pakistan for the 2027 cycle, as outlined in the Bishkek Declaration adopted at the summit.

Putin, Xi, and Pezeshkian in Kyrgyzstan: the petroyuan era and the end of dollar dominance that will change oil markets forever