On 26 December 2018, the SCO headquarters in Beijing hosted a presentation of a new book by the organisation's Secretary-General, Rashid Alimov, titled "The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Global Profile in International Relations."
"The book is devoted to the development of the SCO, covering a relatively short period by historical standards," SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov said at the presentation. According to Mr Alimov, what makes this book valuable is the fact that it was written in the wake of landmark achievements by the SCO over the past two years, which have changed the organisation, as well as the way it is viewed around the world.
Mr Alimov pointed out that he focused on highlighting the paramount importance of India's and Pakistan's accession to the SCO as its full members: "This expansion reinforced the SCO's standing as a generally recognised and prominent institution in the region and across the world, making it an integral and essential part of the global geopolitical landscape. The SCO is making a positive and tangible contribution to ensuring stability and security in Eurasia and globally, fighting terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and cross-border crime, as well as promoting trade and economic cooperation and broadening dialogue among cultures and civilisations," the SCO Secretary-General said.
In his remarks, Mr Alimov highlighted the Shanghai Spirit as the political and legal foundation for all SCO undertakings. This principle has firmly established itself in the political and diplomatic language and is becoming increasingly popular among other countries and international organisations interested in working with the SCO. The Secretary-General went on to say that in the book he provided a detailed analysis and explained the meaning of these notions in all their complexity. According to the official, "the book can be viewed as a spiritual message from the generation that stood at the origins of the SCO to the young generation that will unleash the organisation's boundless potential." Mr Alimov thanked all his predecessors in this position, as well as national coordinators, diplomats and experts from the SCO member countries, who contributed to the SCO's establishment and development.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Alimov said that he would be delighted if his new book became a reference guide for all the presentation guests, helping them gain new insights and expand the SCO family of friends, since one of the main objectives of the SCO member countries is to strengthen friendship and step up cooperation.
Russia's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China Andrei Denisov dedicated his remarks at the presentation to the book's author and the representatives of the SCO Secretariat's Youth League, who were also present at the event, saying that "the book, while summing up Rashid Alimov's extraordinary achievements as SCO Secretary-General, provides a forward-looking vision." The Ambassador placed special emphasis on the fact that "the SCO Secretary-General contributed proactively to promoting the SCO youth movement in various formats, offering young people an opportunity to master the skills of holding talks, making a compelling case for their cause, searching for and finding compromise, improving public speaking skills and leadership qualities." He expressed the hope that guided by the Shanghai Spirit the youth would make a meaningful contribution to strengthening regional stability and security.
Speaking on behalf of the youth movement, SCO Youth League President Victoria Khu thanked Rashid Alimov for this proactive contribution to creating and developing youth platforms within the SCO, helping young people acquire valuable experiences and become involved in the SCO's activities. She went on to say that almost 800 million young people across the SCO space are receptive to the principles that form the Shanghai Spirit.
The book "The SCO: Global Profile in International Relations" was published by Ves Mir Publishers in December 2018, as a follow-up to The SCO: Assertion, Development, Prospects, published in May 2017.