SCO Summit Updates: Participants Sign More Than 40 Agreements, Adopt Samarkand Declaration

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday about bilateral cooperation in a wide range of industries, from energy and trade to defense.

"Had a wonderful meeting with President Putin. We got the opportunity to discuss furthering India-Russia cooperation in sectors such as trade, energy, defence and more. We also discussed other bilateral and global issues," he said on social media.

The leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The gathering in the Uzbek city of Samarkand brought together heads of state and government from Russia, India, China, Turkey and Central Asia.

Russian economic operators have received a signal that they could export food products through Turkey, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand.

"I would like to inform you that our economic operators have received appropriate signals that they can also export our products through Turkey — I mean that Turkey is a reliable partner in this regard and can ensure reliable deliveries through its territory to all countries of the world, including to the countries of Asia, Latin America, Africa, since we mainly sell there," Putin said during the meeting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that hopefully Ukrainian grain will reach poor countries but this is not happening at the moment.

“Let's hope, indeed, that a significant part of it [grain], while this has not been achieved so far, will still go through the UN food program for the poorest countries,” Putin said during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Samarkand.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Friday to discuss topical global and regional agenda.

The SCO summit is being held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand from September 15-16. The event is attended by leaders of SCO member states, observer states and other invited guests.

Amirabdollahian and DiCarlo discussed the situation in Yemen, Afghanistan and Ukraine, also touching upon the issue of negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

The nuclear deal was sealed in 2015 by China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union. The US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, to which the latter responded by gradually dropping its own obligations under the deal. The two started talks on JCPOA revival after the change of power in the White House.

Iran is formally an observer country to the SCO. On Thursday, it signed a memorandum on commitment to full SCO membership.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is ready to work with other countries to ensure food security at the regional and global levels, the heads of SCO member states said in a joint statement.

"We express our readiness to continue to work jointly with other countries to ensure food security at the regional and global levels," the statement says.

The SCO leaders also noted the need to respect and guarantee the right of all states to energy security and the right of their people to use the services of the energy industry, adding that the achievement of energy security is the basis for ensuring economic development, social stability, national security and welfare of all countries of the world.

In addition, they called for the formation of a fair global energy resources management system and assistance to countries in need, the document read.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) plan to develop a single list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organizations, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"In accordance with their national laws and on the basis of consensus, the member states will strive to develop common principles and approaches to the formation of a single list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organizations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the SCO member states," the document read.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have called for increasing the effectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and reforming it, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states call for more effective WTO as a key forum for discussing the international trade agenda and adopting the rules of the multilateral trading system," the document read, noting the need for an inclusive reform as soon as possible.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) consider it important to create an inclusive government in Afghanistan, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states consider it extremely important to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of representatives of all ethnic, religious and political groups of Afghan society," the declaration read.

The SCO also advocates the formation of Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs, the document added.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have called for the compliance with the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states call for full implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC) as an effective instrument in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. They stress the importance of the early destruction of all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons," the document read.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) consider it important to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states consider it important to sustainably implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program and, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, call on all participants to strictly fulfill their obligations for the comprehensive and effective implementation of the document," the document read.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held brief talks with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo after the SCO summit in Samarkand, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Friday.

The Russian leader asked the UN secretariat to influence the decision of the European Commission regarding the lifting of sanctions on the supply of Russian fertilizers to those countries in need, noting that as of now, the sanctions have been lifted only for supplies to European countries.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) consider the unilateral build-up of global missile defense systems as a negative trend, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states once again draw attention to the fact that the unilateral and unrestricted build-up of global missile defense systems by individual countries or groups of states has a negative impact on international security and stability. They consider unacceptable attempts to ensure their own security at the expense of the security of other states," the declaration read.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are against any militarization of the IT sector, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states are strongly against militarization of the IT sector. They support the development of universal rules, principles and norms of responsible behavior of states in this area, also welcome the launch of the development under the auspices of the UN of a comprehensive international convention on combating the use of ICT for criminal purposes," the document read.

The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have noted the importance of implementing the cooperation program in countering terrorism, according to the Samarkand declaration signed on Friday.

"The member states expressed deep concern over the threat to security posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations, and strongly condemned terrorist acts around the world. They stressed the importance of the consistent implementation of the Program of Cooperation of the SCO Member States in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2022-2024 [signed in 2021]," the document read.

Uzbek president announced the start of procedures for granting Belarus SCO membership. He also said that Bahrain, Maldives, Kuwait, UAE and Myanmar to receive SCO dialogue partner status on Friday.