BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 1. Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to develop a long-term “SCO–2040” vision focused on deeper economic integration, investment, technology and infrastructure cooperation among member states, Trend's special correspondent reports.
Speaking at the SCO’s 25th-anniversary summit in Bishkek, Mirziyoyev said the organization had demonstrated its relevance over the past quarter-century and should now place greater emphasis on practical economic cooperation and interconnected development.
“The main goal should be to create an interconnected and sustainable space where investment, technology and knowledge can move freely, large infrastructure and industrial projects can be implemented, and direct ties between regions, businesses and people can expand,” Mirziyoyev said.
The Uzbek president proposed that the new long-term vision serve as a framework for strengthening the SCO’s economic role and expanding cooperation beyond political and security issues.
Among the key initiatives put forward by Uzbekistan was the creation of an SCO Industrial Cooperation Map, which would bring together special economic zones, production facilities, markets and logistics networks through a digital platform for businesses, investors and government agencies.
Mirziyoyev also called for the SCO Council of Heads of Government to begin selecting a portfolio of projects in transportation, energy, industrial cooperation and digital infrastructure that could be implemented with the practical launch of an SCO Development Bank.
The proposals come as the SCO seeks to expand practical cooperation across its increasingly diverse membership. The organization’s 2026 summit in Bishkek is focused on strengthening cooperation in areas including trade, transport, digital technologies, environmental protection and artificial intelligence.
Uzbekistan also proposed deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, water and energy efficiency, transport connectivity and food security. Mirziyoyev backed China’s initiative to establish a World Organization for Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence and proposed creating an open multilingual SCO data corpus.
The Uzbek president’s proposals point to an effort to position the SCO as a platform for economic connectivity and investment-led development, particularly across Central Asia. The emphasis on industrial zones, logistics, digital infrastructure and a potential development bank suggests that Tashkent wants the organization to translate its political dialogue into concrete cross-border projects and business opportunities.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the Bishkek Declaration marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary, alongside a package of documents aimed at expanding cooperation across several areas.
