Expert: SCO is new centre of power, where many see alternative to US and its allies

Belarus is joining the ranks of authoritative Shanghai Co-operation Organisation at the summit in Astana (Kazakhstan) on July 3rd-4th. Political scientist Yuri Shevtsov, the Director of the Centre for European Integration, explains the sb.by portal the benefits and prospects the SCO opens up for us.

“The first and most important thing is the opportunity to participate in diplomatic events held within the SCO (at least once a year). Therefore, the participation of the country in the organisation’s summits – along with the heads of China, Russia, India, Iran and others – is a very good diplomatic platform for solving the most difficult and key issues. There is such a thing as working on the sidelines of a summit or conference. Secondly, the SCO is not a military or economic bloc, although a wide range of topics are discussed there – the same as in the G7. It is important to take part in the exchange of opinions,” the expert noted.

“The SCO countries account for about 25 percent of global GDP. For more than two decades, the organisation has grown from a regional organisation into a large family of 26 countries, including observers and dialogue partners,” Mr. Shevtsov added.

“The SCO appeared at a time when deep prerequisites for the disappearance of the American-centric world began to form. Today we live in a polycentric time, so international organisations and various institutions – focused on maintaining the dominance of the United States – are gradually dying out. They should be replaced by other global elements that would not be affiliated with America. That’s why there was a need for such organisations, and the SCO became one of them. It united, first of all, Russia and China, and then other states joined. This is how a new centre of power began to form, where many see an alternative to the US and its allies,” the political scientist summed up.