Tokayev addresses SCO summit in Bishkek, proposes industrial consortia
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. He proposed industrial consortia and cross-border trade zones to deepen economic ties. Tokayev also warned that global trust has eroded amid rising geopolitical rivalry.
Key Facts
- Tokayev proposed pilot industrial consortia to allow member states to implement projects without waiting for all participants.
- SCO member states' mutual trade turnover has approached $1 trillion, according to Tokayev.
- Kazakhstan supports China's initiative to create an SCO Development Bank, directing resources to infrastructure, technology, and industrial projects.
- Tokayev proposed launching SCO cross-border trade zones based on existing border cooperation centers.
- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov called for the swift launch of a Universal Center to counter security challenges and threats.
Summit Address
Tokayev thanked Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and the Kyrgyz people for hosting the summit. He noted the meeting coincided with the 35th anniversary of independence of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Tokayev said the SCO has grown from the 'Shanghai Five' into a major international organization covering much of Eurasia and nearly half of humanity. He stated that the SCO implements principles of non-interference, respect for sovereignty, mutual trust, openness, and cooperation. Tokayev warned that the world has changed significantly since the organization's founding, with fragmentation and geopolitical rivalry prevailing over unity and cooperation.
Economic Proposals
Tokayev emphasized the strategic importance of expanding trade, economic, and investment partnership within the SCO. He noted that mutual trade turnover among SCO countries has approached $1 trillion. Tokayev proposed introducing industrial consortia as a pilot project to allow member states to implement mature projects without waiting for all participants. He suggested launching SCO cross-border trade zones based on existing border cooperation centers to test optimized trade methods, digital procedures, and modern settlement mechanisms. Tokayev said Kazakhstan supports China's initiative to create an SCO Development Bank, with resources directed primarily to infrastructure, technology, and industrial projects.
Kyrgyz Initiatives
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov proposed strengthening the SCO as a space of equal partnership free from bloc thinking and confrontation. He called for the swift launch of a Universal Center to counter security challenges and threats, noting that Bishkek has created all necessary conditions for an International Center to Counter Organized Crime. Japarov urged practical resolution of the SCO Development Bank issue and invited member states to use the 'Tamchy' special financial and investment zone opened in July 2026 in Issyk-Kul region.
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Tokayev addresses SCO summit in Bishkek, proposes industrial consortia
