This Thursday opens in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the SCO. An event marked by the presence of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, who are to meet on the sidelines of the summit.
This organization created in 2001, but whose origins date back to 1996, initially brought together Russia, China and 4 former Soviet Republics of Central Asia. These countries were joined in 2016 by India and Pakistan and in 2021 by Iran. Today, Samarkand therefore hosts many powers, including two representatives of countries sitting on the UN Security Council, four nuclear powers and even states that are among the largest producers and consumers of energy.
It is an organization with a political, economic and even security vocation which is a kind of club dominated by States anxious to counterbalance Western influence, analyzes our regional correspondent, Regis Gente. And this is precisely the opportunity, for some of the participants, most of whom are authoritarian or dictatorial regimes, to show the West that the rest of the world matters.
This year, the SCO comes as the West is challenged by Russia, China and many other powers that will be present in the blue city. One of the challenges of the meeting will therefore be to stage this balance of power.
The long-awaited Xi-Putin meeting
During the summit, many meetings between heads of state are planned, but one in particular attracts attention. Russian and Chinese Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are to meet on the sidelines of the summit. And for the master of the Kremlin, this alliance is “ a real alternative to Western-oriented structures “. ” It is an organization which is closed to the United States, to the West or to Japan, and which wishes to advertise the good Sino-Russian understanding and also with the Republics of Central Asia. », explains Emmanuel Véron, geographer, researcher associated with the naval school and Inalco.
However, despite the weight of the two eastern giants in the organization and their desire to stand up to the West, there is no Moscow-Beijing line on which the two countries agree. ” As proof: the great caution of China vis-à-vis the conflict in Ukraine and the formulations and support, very indirect and light, from Beijing to Moscow in the war in Ukraine. “, concludes the specialist.
Stand out from the West
For others, this meeting is also an opportunity to stand out a little more from the West, and more particularly from the United States. Thus, Iran should sign a protocol of obligation to become a full member of the SCO, as negotiations on its nuclear program stall.
For its part, Belarus should launch the procedure to join the Organization and various memoranda will be initialed so that Egypt, Qatar or Saudi Arabia come closer. Thirty other documents will be signed aimed at strengthening the links between member countries of an organization which is not a bloc, but which aims to stimulate synergies between its members.
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