Belarusian Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin outlined initiatives that Belarus proposes to implement within the SCO framework as he spoke at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow on 18 November.
“Initially established as an association for political dialogue and ensuring regional security and stability, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has, over nearly a quarter of a century, significantly expanded with new member states and partners. It has transformed into an authoritative platform for addressing a wide range of issues concerning the peaceful coexistence and prosperity of our nations and peoples. The Tianjin Declaration of the SCO Council of Heads of State, as well as the package of documents adopted by our leaders in China, fully reflect the multifaceted nature of the areas for our joint efforts,” Aleksandr Turchin said.
In his words, against a backdrop of global economic instability and unilateral coercive measures, the economic dimension serves as the foundation for mutually beneficial partnership within the SCO. Its importance for ensuring regional security was confirmed by the discussions at the 3rd International Conference on Eurasian Security, which Minsk hosted at the end of October.
According to World Bank data, the average economic growth in the SCO region in 2024 was nearly double the global average, and mutual trade is increasing year after year. “The SCO's economic potential is truly limitless,” the Belarusian Prime Minister said.
He recalled that Belarus’ key proposals for strengthening the economic sovereignty of the SCO region were presented by the Belarusian president at the Tianjin summit. These include: intensifying dialogue on simplifying trade procedures within the SCO to reduce trade barriers, increase trade, and boost investment activity; creating an independent SCO financial mechanism to mitigate the pressure of sanctions. “Gradually increasing the share of national currencies in foreign trade and investment operations enhances the efficiency and independence of our economic interaction. However, it is necessary to create our own payment and settlement infrastructure. In this context, we support the idea of establishing an SCO Development Bank, which should function fully in all member countries, providing additional resilience and predictability to our economic ties and meeting the growing demand for investment and financing,” the Belarusian head of Government stressed.
Belarus' initiatives also include the creation of a global Eurasian transit hub, particularly along the EAEU-SCO corridor. This aims to reduce transactional costs for businesses, expand access for Central and South Asian countries to the markets of Europe and China, and strengthen the resilience of trade flows in the face of external pressure. “We see our task as the swift, practical implementation of these proposals,” Aleksandr Turchin said.
“We consider it absolutely vital to enhance industrial cooperation and build resilient production chains, which will help strengthen technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on external markets. One of the most important vectors of cooperation within the SCO is ensuring food security. Our country fully meets its own food requirements and holds a high position in the global ranking of food exporters. We are ready to share our accumulated experience in this area,” the Prime Minister said.
A number of Belarus' initiatives are dedicated to cooperation in education. These include the establishment of the Young SCO Diplomats program and the creation of regional vocational training centers to prepare personnel for high-tech industries such as robotics, industrial automation, and information technology. “It is necessary to consider having universities and colleges in SCO countries develop joint educational programs to train specialists in these fields and organize internships at high-tech enterprises and research laboratories. Such personnel will become a crucial resource for the development and transformation of the industry in SCO countries,” Aleksandr Turchin emphasized.
He cited the development of tourism as no less important. “We call for the development of joint programs to promote medical tourism, particularly in the area of spa treatment and wellness, where Belarus has vast experience and developed infrastructure. This would allow us to develop our collective tourism potential and strengthen people-to-people ties across the SCO space. In the context of developing a common transport and logistics space, one practical step could be to increase air connectivity between the cities of SCO member states - not just the capitals, but regional centers as well. Direct flights would stimulate the development of interregional business relations and tourism,” the Prime Minister stressed.
Photo: BELTA
