Shanghai Cooperation Organization Prepares for New Role in Eurasia as Putin Heads to Bishkek

Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to the Kyrgyz capital could become a turning point for the largest Eurasian association, which is preparing for a radical transformation of its role on the continent. SCO Is Not NATO — But It Could Become Something Similar Vladimir Putin will travel to Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which will take place in the Kyrgyz capital from August 30 to September 1. The landmark 25th-anniversary summit will bring together the leaders of the organisation’s member states, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In addition to the main sessions, the Russian president has a number of important bilateral meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the summit. The summit is significant in its own right because it highlights the progress made by the 27 countries involved in the project to build a common Eurasian space without the participation of Western institutions. The organisation’s charter emphasises its primarily economic objectives and provides its members with three basic elements: security, clear rules of interaction and a platform for negotiations.