Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISMI), delivered a welcoming speech today at the XIX meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum in Tashkent.

In his address, the ISMI representative highly praised the activities of the SCO Forum.

It was noted that since its inception, the SCO Forum has established itself as an effective expert-analytical platform. "The participation of representatives from all countries of the large ‘SCO family’ - member states, observers, and dialogue partners - indicates that further enhancing interaction in this format is becoming increasingly relevant under current conditions," he emphasized.

At the same time, he explained that "it is important for the SCO Forum not to become solely a discussion club where people gather to say something and hear from others." "It is necessary to ensure that our work yields solid practical results," believes Eldor Aripov.

In these circumstances, the head of the Institute noted, it becomes obvious that there is an objective need to adapt SCO activities to new conditions in order to effectively respond to new threats and challenges, which, over the years of its existence, have remained largely unchanged.

In this regard, as Eldor Aripov asserts, with the upcoming SCO summit in Astana, today it is necessary, first and foremost, to focus attention on discussing the following issues:

Firstly, according to the ISMI representative, it is about maintaining comprehensive dialogue. In this context, the importance of developing mechanisms for broad and regular dialogue at all levels, including active involvement of observers and partners, ensuring inclusive and comprehensive consideration and solution of urgent problems and emerging issues, was emphasized.

Eldor Aripov specifically noted that "the development of the SCO Code of Good-Neighborliness, Trust, and Trans-Border Partnership, initiated at the Delhi Summit by the President of Uzbekistan, will allow identifying priority tasks, developing common approaches, and comprehensive measures for further strengthening multilateral cooperation in new conditions."

Secondly, according to the head of ISMI, it is about increasing the effectiveness of mechanisms for ensuring the practical implementation of conceptual documents in all areas.

In this context, the ISMI representative quoted the words of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev, who emphasized the need to conduct an inventory of adopted agreements and decisions, audit the activities of institutions and cooperation mechanisms, accelerate the implementation of agreements on modernizing our organization.

"At the same time, special attention should be paid to such demanded areas as transport and logistics, trade and investment, industrial cooperation, and food security," the director said.

Thirdly, according to the expert’s statement, it is about increasing the practical value of the information and analytical support of the activities of the SCO supreme bodies.

According to Eldor Aripov, "it is very important that SCO forum meetings serve as an expert-analytical basis for enriching the agenda of key directive bodies of the SCO - the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government."

It should be reminded that more than 40 experts from 10 countries, including a representative delegation of national research centers of SCO member states, specialists from observer states and SCO dialogue partners, as well as the leadership of the SCO Secretariat and the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS, are taking part in the ISMI-organized event.

The current forum is dedicated to the theme "The Role of the SCO in New Conditions: Uniting Efforts for the Sake of Universal Security, Stability, and Prosperity."

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