Editor's note: At the 23rd SCO Summit on Tuesday, leaders of the member countries vowed to forge closer ties and boost cooperation within the bloc but also emphasized that the group is not directed against any other states. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prides itself as the world's largest regional grouping. It represents 70 percent of the Eurasian landmass and nearly 50 percent of the global population. Iran was inducted as the ninth full member at this year's SCO Summit hosted by India in the virtual format. Belarus is expected to join next year as its 10th member, while several other countries including Türkiye have reportedly expressed their interest in joining the Eurasian bloc. What are the true boundaries of SCO and what are the opportunities and challenges that it faces from within and without? Speakers at a special panel discussion on "Practical Cooperation of the SCO: Chances and Challenges" at the recently held World Peace Forum in Beijing offered insights into these critical questions. The views expressed in the video are the speakers' own and not necessarily those of CGTN.
Sun Zhuangzhi, Director, Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences:
When you pay attention to the SCO Summit this year, you may think of "expansion." Iran will soon become a member of the SCO. Will the SCO become a regional grouping targeting Western countries? The principle of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is very clear. Although we are non-Western, we are not anti-Western. We are open. We do not target third parties, nor will we establish military and political alliances. This is very clear.
Another thing I want to mention is that people expect Belarus to soon become a member of the SCO. This raises another question: The SCO is a regional organization, so where is the regional boundary? Originally, it was considered to be in Central Asia or in the hinterland of Eurasia, but now it has expanded to Eastern Europe. Is it possible to expand to Africa and other regions in the future?
Ali Zargaran, Minister Counselor, Embassy of Iran, Beijing:
By actively participating in SCO-led initiatives, Iran can leverage its geographical advantage to become a vital transit hub and facilitate trade between East and West.
Moreover, the SCO plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges of terrorism and extremism. Iran has long been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and its participation in the SCO will further strengthen regional security cooperation.
Sohail Mahmood, Director General, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan:
Pakistan sees the SCO model as a very good example of how states can and should engage with each other through dialogue, collaboration and based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, cultural diversity and openness.
In terms of the practical implementation, indeed the progress appears to be slow, but there are legitimate reasons for the slow pace. But even with the slow pace of implementation, the organization serves as an important forum for countries of the region and beyond to continue their dialogue on security and stability.
Nurlan Akkoshkarov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the SCO Secretariat:
It is particularly noteworthy that in order to achieve economic autonomy, the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are exploring to reduce the use of U.S. dollars in mutual settlements and creating their own currency circulation system. Currently, this issue is being actively discussed.
If the SCO develops well, the member states, after assessing the results of multilateral cooperation, may put aside their bilateral differences and in turn deepen the SCO integration, which will eventually enhance the role of the Eastern region and make it more globally dominant and replace the West.
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