Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, reported Akorda. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
According to the President, over a quarter of a century, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has grown from the "Shanghai Five" into a major international organization covering a large part of Eurasia and uniting about half of humanity.
"The SCO, as a unique association of different but like-minded countries, has been implementing in practice the principles of non-interference in internal affairs, respect for sovereignty, mutual trust, openness and cooperation. Today it has become a truly successful, influential and sought-after international structure. Nevertheless, the world has changed significantly since the founding of our Organization," said the President.
The Head of State noted that a new system of international relations is emerging, where disunity prevails over unity, geopolitical rivalry over the desire for cooperation, and enmity instead of seeking a balance of interests.
"Mutual trust has been undermined. Without it, even the strongest international institutions gradually lose their ability to withstand challenges. In this regard, the importance of our Organization is increasing. The SCO operates outside the logic of a military-political bloc, and its activities are not directed against any states. The Organization relies on a completely different political philosophy, namely the 'Shanghai spirit', which is based on the idea of common initiatives on the path to progress. Our main goal is to build a strong and prosperous SCO community," said Tokayev.
Kazakhstan's trade turnover with SCO countries reached $72.6 billion.