Opinion: SCO meeting to be epoch-making
The 22nd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan on September 15th-16th, will become a new milestone in Eurasia’s development – as noted by political expert Aleksei Dzermant in his talk with the First Channel of the Belarusian Radio
According to the expert, people are used to a West-centric view of the world. It might seem to many that the EU – as well as the US and UK – is above all.
“However, the majority of the world's population lives in a slightly different picture of the world, and we should discover this picture for ourselves – including through visits of the kind to such organisations. It is not the Western world that needs to be discovered – not because we are lovers of exotics, but because the centres of development are shifting. Sincere friends, allies and partners are there [in the SCO], and they do not demand political concessions from us, do not impose their values and ideology. Equal rights and the desire to find a worthy place among those who respect us are important: this is a message for our country’s work, including in an organisation such as the SCO," Mr. Dzermant stated.
He believes a multipolar world is already being formed. “The SCO format is quite soft in itself: it has many players and lacks the so-called block discipline. This is a platform of interaction, which is important for formation of a multipolar world. Countries can discuss important issues within the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation without western mediation,” the expert added.
Mr. Dzermant noted that the world configuration is becoming an alternative to Western domination, and the SCO plays its role in the process – being a soft platform for interaction and co-operation of non-Western countries.
The upcoming meeting in Samarkand is important, and the expert explained, “It is assumed that new members – such as Iran and Belarus – will join the SCO during the summit. I think it will be quite an epoch-making meeting – a new milestone in the development of Eurasia.”
