China is one of its co-founders and key driving forces in SCO. From the outset, China has viewed the SCO as a platform to promote regional stability, counter extremism, and strengthen political trust across Eurasia. Over the years, it has also actively pushed economic cooperation through trade facilitation, connectivity, infrastructure development, and initiatives aligned with regional growth. China’s role within the SCO balances security priorities with long-term economic integration, positioning the organization as an important pillar of multipolar cooperation led in part by China.
Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role in the SCO as one of its founding members and a key bridge between East and West. Leveraging its strategic geographic position in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has consistently promoted regional dialogue, security cooperation, and economic connectivity within the SCO framework. Kazakhstan’s pragmatic and consensus-driven approach has helped strengthen the SCO as a platform for balanced Eurasian cooperation, with Kazakhstan at its core.
Kyrgyzstan a founding member representing the heart of Central Asia. With a strong focus on regional security, Kyrgyzstan has actively supported SCO initiatives on counterterrorism, border cooperation, and regional stability. It also contributes to economic and cultural cooperation by promoting trade, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges among member states, ensuring that the perspectives of smaller but strategically positioned Central Asian nations are reflected within SCO.
Russia has a strong central and influential role in SCO as a founding member and one of its key strategic pillars. It has consistently shaped the organization’s focus on regional security, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation, while also supporting economic coordination and political dialogue across Eurasia. Russia views SCO as an important platform for promoting a multipolar world order and strengthening cooperation among member states, particularly across Central Asia, reinforcing its long-standing regional engagement within Russia’s broader geopolitical framework.
Tajikistan is a founding member with a strong focus on regional security and stability. Given its strategic location bordering Afghanistan, Tajikistan has been particularly active in supporting SCO initiatives related to counterterrorism, border security, and combating extremism. It also contributes to economic and connectivity discussions within SCO, advocating for infrastructure development and regional cooperation that support long-term stability and growth, while ensuring Central Asian security concerns remain a priority for Tajikistan.
Uzbekistan’s role within SCO is shaped by its focus on practical cooperation and regional self-reliance. As a founding member, it has consistently pushed for approaches that respect national sovereignty while encouraging collaboration on security and stability in Central Asia. In parallel, Uzbekistan has emerged as a strong proponent of economic engagement, using SCO as a platform to advance trade, connectivity, and regional development initiatives that deliver tangible outcomes for member states.
India’s role in SCO reflects its growing engagement with Eurasia through dialogue, diplomacy, and development-oriented cooperation. Since becoming a full member, India has brought a balanced perspective that emphasizes counterterrorism, regional stability, and respect for sovereignty, while also expanding discussions on trade, connectivity, health, and cultural exchange. India uses SCO as a platform to build trust, deepen economic ties, and contribute to a more inclusive and multipolar regional framework, aligned with its broader foreign policy outreach across Central Asia and beyond.
Pakistan’s role in SCO centers on regional connectivity, security dialogue, and economic cooperation. As a full member, Pakistan has used the platform to engage with Central Asian states on counterterrorism, stability, and transnational challenges, while also advocating for enhanced trade and transport linkages linking South Asia with Eurasia. Through SCO, Pakistan seeks to expand diplomatic engagement, strengthen economic integration, and position itself as a key corridor for regional connectivity initiatives.
Iran plays a growing and multifaceted role in SCO as one of its full members, having been formally admitted after years as an observer, which broadened the organization’s geographic reach toward the Middle East. Iran leverages its strategic location and resources to contribute to SCO’s core objectives of security cooperation—especially in combating terrorism, extremism, and transnational crime—and to deepen economic and connectivity ties across Eurasia. Its inclusion also provides opportunities for closer collaboration with major members like China and Russia on political, trade, and infrastructure initiatives, while enhancing the group’s influence in regional stability and development discussions. (vifindia.org)
Belarus’s role in SCO is shaped by its emphasis on political alignment, security cooperation, and Eurasian economic engagement. As a newer member, Belarus brings Eastern European perspective into the SCO framework, supporting dialogue on regional stability, countering external pressures, and strengthening multilateral coordination. It also views SCO as a platform to expand trade ties, logistics cooperation, and industrial collaboration with Eurasian partners, reinforcing the organization’s widening geographic and strategic scope.
