On 19 March 2025, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev, currently on an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, held a meeting with Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakyt Sydykov in Bishkek.
The SCO Secretary-General congratulated his Kyrgyz colleagues on the signing of the Treaty on the State Border with Tajikistan. He praised Bishkek's contribution to SCO economic cooperation, highlighting the state's impressive potential and advantages in energy, transport, agriculture and other sectors. He noted that Kyrgyzstan plays an important role in facilitating sustainable development in the SCO region, and emphasised the SCO Secretariat's readiness to provide Kyrgyzstan with essential assistance in promoting various initiatives and proposals.
Nurlan Yermekbayev informed the Minister about several proposals aimed at improving intra-SCO economic collaboration. These include enhancing the effectiveness of the Business Council and the Organisation’s Interbank Consortium. The proposals also aim to unlock the potential of businesses and regions as a driving force for economic cooperation and to hold participants in meetings of heads of ministries and agencies accountable for implementing their decisions before the SCO Heads of Government Council.
The Secretary-General noted plans to assess the efficiency of specialised SCO mechanisms and mentioned the possibility of establishing an SCO Assistance Fund to provide humanitarian assistance to member states, dialogue partners and organisations during emergency situations.
The Minister congratulated Nurlan Yermekbayev on his recent appointment and expressed support for the Secretary-General’s proposals. He agreed that business operations and regional collaboration should become key components of SCO economic cooperation. In this context, the Secretary-General suggested holding events focused on business and interregional collaboration during Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship of the SCO.
Bakyt Sydykov informed Nurlan Yermekbayev about Kyrgyzstan’s priorities in the SCO’s economic agenda, including simplified trade procedures, high-quality development of the digital economy, enhancing transit potential and the development of renewable energy sources. He assured the SCO Secretary-General that Bishkek was ready to cooperate closely with all SCO countries on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.
The officials exchanged views on establishing a mechanism for financing SCO project activities. They underscored the need for practical measures to facilitate cost-effective economic cooperation within the SCO framework.