The summit documents are nearly ready. Just days before the leaders’ meeting, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states have reviewed the draft final documents, including the Bishkek Declaration marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary, DKNews.kz reports.
From August 27 to 30, Bishkek hosted a meeting of the Council of National Coordinators of SCO member states under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship. The talks were reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
Participants reviewed draft documents to be submitted to the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. They also discussed the further development of cooperation across the organisation’s broad agenda.
Bishkek Declaration to become a key summit document
The main result of the four-day preparatory meeting is expected to emerge not from public statements, but from the package of documents that will be submitted to the leaders.
The summit is expected to adopt the Bishkek Declaration dedicated to the SCO’s 25th anniversary, along with other documents aimed at improving the organisation’s effectiveness and strengthening cooperation among member states.
The documents have been under preparation for several months. On July 24, SCO foreign ministers approved the draft Bishkek Declaration, thematic statements by the leaders and other summit documents as a basis for further work, according to an official statement by the SCO Secretariat.
National coordinators continued the coordination process in August, including meetings held by videoconference on August 17–21 and August 24.
The August 27–30 meeting in Bishkek therefore became one of the final stages of preparation before the negotiations at the highest political level.
Kazakhstan calls for clear priorities beyond the SCO’s 25th anniversary
For Kazakhstan, the anniversary summit is intended to do more than review the organisation’s first quarter-century.
Murat Mukushev, Kazakhstan’s National Coordinator for SCO Affairs, said the member states should also define specific priorities for the next stage of cooperation.
“The upcoming Summit of Heads of State in Bishkek is of particular importance for the further development of the SCO. In the year of the organisation’s 25th anniversary, it is important not only to review the path travelled, but also to define specific guidelines for future cooperation. Kazakhstan attaches particular importance to strengthening the role of the SCO as an effective and balanced multilateral structure,” Mukushev said.
His statement came as national coordinators discussed ways to improve the SCO’s activities and strengthen its legal and treaty framework.
The issue is also part of the organisation’s wider agenda. A July statement by the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers said that after 25 years the organisation was entering a new stage that would require improvements to its operations, legal framework and mechanisms of multilateral cooperation. The full document is available on the official SCO website.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan coordinated positions ahead of the summit
Kazakhstan’s preparations for the Bishkek summit also included bilateral consultations with Kyrgyzstan.
In August, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issagaliyev and Kyrgyz Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kudaibergen Bazarbayev discussed the upcoming meeting of the heads of state.
Kazakhstan reaffirmed its support for Kyrgyzstan’s SCO chairmanship and its readiness to contribute to the implementation of Bishkek’s priorities.
The two sides highlighted economic ties, transport connectivity, cultural and humanitarian contacts, and greater effectiveness of the SCO’s multilateral mechanisms among the practical areas of cooperation. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported on the meeting.
For Kazakhstan, this gives the SCO agenda a practical dimension. The organisation matters not only as a political platform, but also through mechanisms that can affect trade, transport links and regional cooperation across Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region.
Bishkek summit will conclude Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship
Kyrgyzstan is chairing the SCO in 2025–2026 under the slogan “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
Bishkek has identified security, economic cooperation, digitalisation, environmental issues, sustainable development and humanitarian ties among its priorities.
These areas were outlined at the beginning of Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship and are described in more detail in materials published by the SCO Secretariat.
The Council of Heads of State meeting is scheduled for September 1 in Bishkek. In addition to the main summit, the Kyrgyz capital is also expected to host an expanded SCO Plus format.
Official SCO documents list the high-level events for August 31 and September 1.
The final documents will matter most for Kazakhstan
The key question now is what will make it into the final package approved by the leaders.
Published materials show that member states have discussed improving the SCO’s institutional mechanisms, security, economic cooperation and the further development of its legal framework.
For Kazakhstan, one of the main indicators will be how clearly the final documents address priorities Astana has already highlighted: transport connectivity, economic ties and a more effective SCO.
That makes the Bishkek Declaration relevant beyond its anniversary symbolism. Its wording will show which priorities member states are prepared to formally endorse for the organisation’s next stage of development.
A few days ago, we examined the agenda of the Bishkek SCO Summit and the issues that matter directly to Kazakhstan. The preparatory stage is now effectively complete, and the final decisions will be left to the heads of state on September 1.
