A largest-ever SCO summit As the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has just etched a new milestone by convening its largest-ever summit in the vibrant port city of Tianjin, China from August 31 to September 1.

Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has blossomed from six founding members into a family of 26 countries, spanning Asia, Europe and Africa. Beyond this big family, the attendees at Tianjin also included guests of the host country, such as Malaysia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and representatives from the U.N., the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), ASEAN, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The summit’s decision to admit Laos as the 27th member of the SCO family underscored the SCO’s continuing momentum of enlargement and deepening solidarity. The organization has become the regional international organization with the broadest geographical coverage and largest population in the world.

At a time when the world faces deepening geopolitical fractures, security dilemmas, and the risks of economic decoupling, the factthat this largest-ever Tianjin gatheringbrought together such a wide and diverse array of participants fully reflects the SCO’s strong internal cohesion and growing international........

© Pakistan Observer