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Vladimir Putin’s remarks at the SCO Plus meeting

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: President Xi Jinping, colleagues.

I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to all participants of today’s meeting in the SCO Plus format. This is not our first gathering in such an expanded framework, bringing together the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, leaders of observer states and SCO dialogue partners, honoured guests of the chairmanship, and the heads of leading international organisations.

This clearly reflects the growing interest and attention of the international community in the multifaceted work of the SCO. Increasingly, states are seeking open and equal dialogue with our organisation.

Today, in addition to its ten full members, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation also engages two observer states – Mongolia and Afghanistan – as well as 15 dialogue partners.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith on his country’s unanimous admission as a partner of the SCO, as decided by the Heads of State Council.

Applications from more than a dozen other countries seeking observer or dialogue partner status are currently under consideration. Each application deserves careful and respectful attention. The key criterion is that all prospective partners share the values and principles of the SCO, pursue independent policies, and are committed to jointly addressing pressing global challenges.

Since its founding in 2001, the SCO has actively worked to promote peace, security, trust, and cooperation across our common Eurasian continent. In this context, we have given careful consideration to the proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping for establishing a more effective and functional system of global governance. Such efforts are particularly relevant at a time when certain countries continue to pursue dictatorial practices in international affairs.

Russia supports President Xi Jinping’s initiative and is eager to engage in a substantive discussion of the proposals presented by our Chinese friends.

It seems that the SCO is capable of playing a leading role in shaping a more just and equitable system of global governance. Such a system must rest on the primacy of international law and the core provisions of the UN Charter, be genuinely balanced, take into account the interests of the widest possible range of countries, and ensure opportunities for their sustainable development and security.

The SCO is also actively advancing trade, economic, investment, and financial cooperation. It is noteworthy that, despite continuing challenges in the global economy, the combined GDP of the SCO member states grew by more than five percent in 2024, surpassing global averages. Industrial output rose by 4.6 percent. Cooperation is steadily deepening in such sectors as energy, finance, agriculture and food security, infrastructure, high technology, innovation, and transport.

It is equally important that the SCO participants consistently uphold historical and cultural values as well as civilisational diversity. On this basis, people-to-people ties are expanding, and cooperation in science and education, healthcare, and sports continues to strengthen.

I would also like to take this opportunity to inform you that on September 20, Moscow will host the Intervision international television song contest. This major project aims to promote universal cultural and spiritual values. The contest has already sparked great interest: performers from many countries have confirmed their participation, including those represented at today’s meeting. In current international discourse, traditional values are too often pushed into the background. It is time to bring them back onto the global agenda.

We would also like to invite delegations from all your countries to take part in the St Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, which opens next week, as well as the Russia – a Sports Power forum, scheduled to take place this November in Samara.

I am confident that today’s meeting will be fruitful, will strengthen the bonds of friendship among all the countries represented here, and will help advance wide-ranging cooperation across many spheres.

Thank you for your attention.