News: 26th SCO Summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31–September 1, 2026, marking 25 years of the SCO.
Key Features
- Established: 15 June 2001.
- Origin: Shanghai Five — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan.
- India & Pakistan: Became full members in 2017.
- Eurasian multilateral organisation for security, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation and regional coordination.
- SCO is not a military alliance and has no collective defence mechanism.
India’s Role
- Uses SCO to engage with China, Russia, Iran and Central Asia.
- Focuses on counter-terrorism and extremism.
- Supports peace and stability in Afghanistan.
- Promotes connectivity with Central Asian countries.
- Maintains diplomatic dialogue with China and Pakistan.
Connectivity & BRI
- India supports connectivity that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- India opposes CPEC because it passes through Pakistan-occupied territory.
- SCO supports BRI, but India does not endorse it.
Major Challenges
- India–China border disputes.
- India–Pakistan tensions.
- Different positions on Ukraine and West Asian conflicts.
- Consensus-based decision-making can limit collective action.
- Divergent interests among member states.
Importance for India
- Strengthens Eurasian strategic engagement.
- Provides a platform for security cooperation.
- Enhances Central Asian connectivity and economic engagement.
- Keeps channels of multilateral dialogue open despite bilateral differences.