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Putin, Xi Propose New Regional Security Organization to Counter NATO

By Vusala Abbasova July 5, 2024

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they pose for photos during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Wednesday. / EPA

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have revealed plans to establish a new regional security organization designed to counter NATO's influence. 

This announcement was made during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the second and final day of the event. The SCO, founded in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, serves as a platform for member states to collaborate on security and economic issues.

“Russia’s goal is to ensure indivisible security and development to replace the outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models that gave unilateral advantages to individual countries,” President Putin said at the summit. “The result of such a world order is well known – a growing number of crises around the world, one of which, of course, is Ukraine.”

Putin blamed the West for the war in Ukraine, expressing Russia's readiness to pause the conflict if Kyiv and its supporters agree to Moscow's terms for negotiations. Last month, Putin suggested that the proposed Eurasian security pact should be inclusive of all regional countries, even current NATO members. The ultimate goal, he noted, is to eliminate all foreign military presence in Eurasia, indirectly referencing the United States.

"SCO members should consolidate unity and jointly oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division," The Express Tribune newspaper quoted Xi as saying, citing Xinhua News Agency. 

The SCO nations have become crucial buyers of Russian commodities such as oil and gas, as Western sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine war have forced Moscow to strengthen its ties with Asia.

On Thursday, Putin praised the increasing use of national currencies in trade among SCO countries and advocated for the creation of a new payment system within the group. These measures come in response to Russian banks' exclusion from traditional payment systems like SWIFT, and the freezing of hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian foreign reserves due to sanctions. 

"The multi-polar world has become reality," Putin said. "More and more countries support a fair world order and are ready to vigorously defend their legal rights and traditional values."

The 24th summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State, held on July 3-4 in Astana, focused on regional issues and provided a platform for promoting dialogue and diplomacy. The SCO has expanded to include ten members: Belarus, India, Iran, Pakistan, and the six founding nations. It also has observer state – Mongolia – and 14 dialogue partners, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.

Representing 40 percent of the world's population, SCO member countries collectively contribute over $23 trillion to the global GDP. The summit underscored the organization's growing influence and the members' shared commitment to fostering a multipolar world order.