THE SCO SAMARKAND SUMMIT: DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION IN AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD

Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO has fallen on a dynamic period, fraught with various events and trends – the period of the «historical rift», when one era comes to an end and another begins – thus far unpredictable and unknown.

- Shavkat Mirziyoyev

The modern system of international cooperation, based on the universal principles and norms, begins to falter. One of the main reasons for this is a deep crisis of trust at the global level, which, in turn, provokes a geopolitical confrontation and the risk of reviving the bloc thinking stereotypes. This process of mutual alienation complicates the return of the world economy to its former course of development and the restoration of global supply chains.

The ongoing armed confl icts in diff erent parts of the world destabilize trade and investment fl ows, exacerbate the problems of ensuring food and energy security.

Along with this, global climate shocks, growing scarcity of natural and water resources, decline in biodiversity, spread of dangerous infectious diseases have exposed the vulnerability of our societies as never before. They lead to destruction of existential common goods, threatening the basis of people’s life and reducing sources of income.

In these circumstances, it is obvious that no country alone can hope to avoid or cope with these global risks and challenges.

There is only one way out of the dangerous spiral of problems in an interconnected world where we all live today - through a constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation based on consideration and respect to the interests of everyone. It is exactly at the time of crisis, when all the countries – whether they are large, medium or small by size – must put aside their narrow interests and focus on such mutual interaction, unite and multiply the common eff orts and possibilities to counter the threats and challenges to peace, security and sustainable development that are related to each of us.