SCO Plus meeting

SCO Plus format meeting
Photo: Kremlin.ru

A meeting in the SCO Plus format was held in the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek under the theme “The UN as a Key Element of a Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World”, Kremlin informs.

Prior to the expanded-format meeting, a reception was held in honour of the heads of delegations from the SCO member states and invited international organisations. A joint photo session of the leaders participating in the SCO Plus format also took place.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Speech by the President of Russia at the SCO Plus meeting

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Japarov, colleagues,

I would like to greet all the participants in today’s meeting. Let me emphasise that we have established a good tradition of holding these meetings in the SCO Plus format. In my view, this confirms the fact that there is a growing interest in our organisation’s multifaceted activities from the international community. We are open to engaging in honest, mutually beneficial cooperation while respecting each other’s interests and values, culture and traditions based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.

I believe that the theme of today’s meeting, as suggested by Kyrgyzstan’s presidency, – The United Nations as a Key Element of a Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World – is quite relevant in today’s world.

There is no doubt that the United Nations plays a central role in international affairs and must be able to preserve this role in the future. Let me remind you that the United Nations marked its anniversary last year. In fact, eight decades ago, having defeated Nazism and militarism during World War II – and we are meeting on September 1, while on the same day in 1939 this horrible war started, – our nations succeeded in coming together and balancing their interests by agreeing on the fundamental rules of state-to-state interaction. These tenets were set forth in the UN Charter in their entirety, completeness and interconnectedness. Since that time, the UN has been operating as a one-of-a-kind platform for dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation.

Of course, life moves on. Apparently, not everything in the UN’s work is to our liking or satisfaction, and not always. That being said, I must point out that, in all frankness, it has always been like that — indeed, since the very moment the UN was established. It is not a coincidence, and my colleagues here from the CIS probably know this better than others, that Mr Gromyko, the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, was often referred to as Mr No for often using the right of veto when dealing with various issues in an effort to defend the interests of the USSR, as well as the interests of so many countries in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia in their struggle for freedom, independence and against colonial domination.

However, it appears that the potential of the United Nations is far from being realised and efforts must be taken to enhance its effectiveness, expand the representation of its bodies, in particular in the Security Council, by including countries of the Global South and East, and overall, adjust it to the evolving realities and the emerging fundamental changes in global politics and the economy.

This is about the formation of a new, truly just multipolar world order. It is an objective and, as everyone can see, irreversible process. Many states have been trying to independently determine their future and resolutely uphold their legitimate interests while taking an active part in global affairs.

In this context, the unifying and creative activity of the UN is greatly needed. The universal organisation must undoubtedly retain its function as the main mechanism for aligning interests. It was created for exactly this purpose, as a mechanism for aligning interests. It must not be an organisation that advocates the interests of one country or a group of countries. Once again, the UN must remain the main mechanism for aligning interests, if only because there are no other mechanisms of this kind in the world.

The UN Charter must remain the key source of international law. It is obvious that new multilateral regional structures, which have appeared and gained strength in Asia, Africa and Latin America, are becoming organically integrated into the architecture of the multipolar world alongside the UN. One of such structures is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

In conclusion, I would like to express hope that this meeting in the SCO Plus format will help strengthen friendly ties between all countries represented here and will step up wide-ranging interaction in a variety of spheres.

Thank you.

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