World leaders and senior diplomats gathered in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the 26th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State, marking the 25th anniversary of the regional Eurasian grouping. Chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov under the theme "25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity," the high-level conference brought together heads of state and government from 17 nations, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A central highlight of the summit was an address by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called on participating nations to champion reforms in global governance. Guterres emphasized that an increasingly multipolar international order must be supported by reformed multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods system, to better reflect contemporary global realities and amplify the representation of developing nations. He stressed that a fair international order requires moving past geopolitical frameworks established in 1945.
The summit concluded with the signing of the comprehensive Bishkek Declaration along with 27 related agreements aimed at deepening regional economic, security, and environmental cooperation. Member states pledged to expand trade in national currencies, advance Eurasian transport and logistics corridors, and foster green technology initiatives. The adoption of the declaration underscores growing efforts among Eurasian powers to construct alternative trade and economic frameworks amid ongoing global tensions.
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