Bishkek, March 13, 2026 /Kabar/. Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will expand economic cooperation through the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, Urmat Amanaliev, Doctor of Law and Professor, told Kabar.
According to him, the organization currently comprises 10 member states. The population of the SCO member states exceeds 3.4 billion people. The organization accounts for a quarter of global GDP and 15% of international trade.
Urmat Amanaliev noted that the SCO was created to ensure security, expand economic cooperation, and strengthen relations between member countries.
"The organization includes a number of developed countries, led by China. For our country, China's membership in the SCO has a strategic advantage, as China is our neighbor. At the same time, the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will be a key project that makes a significant contribution to the development of economic ties," he emphasized.
It is worth noting that SCO Summit will be held in Bishkek in August. According to the expert, given the current geopolitical situation in the world, the main issues on the agenda will be the security of the organization's countries and the further strengthening of interstate ties.
The SCO was founded on the basis of agreements on strengthening military trust and mutual reduction of armed forces in border areas, signed in 1996 and 1997 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Due to regular meetings between the leaders of these five countries, the organization was initially called the "Shanghai Five." In 2000, the organization's regional significance grew, and Uzbekistan joined that same year.
The SCO currently consists of 10 states: Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Observer states: Afghanistan and Mongolia.
Dialogue partners: 15 states.