The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit has opened in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, with regional security and developments in Afghanistan expected to feature prominently in discussions.
The summit began on Monday, August 31, with member states holding bilateral and multilateral meetings ahead of the main Council of Heads of State session scheduled for Tuesday, September 1.
Afghanistan is expected to be among the key regional issues discussed during the summit, particularly concerns related to terrorism, drug trafficking and border security. These issues remain important for SCO members because several countries in the organization are geographically connected to Afghanistan or have direct security interests in the region.
However, the Taliban administration has once again not been invited to participate in the summit. Afghanistan has held observer status in the SCO since 2012, but the Taliban authorities have not represented the country at the organization’s annual heads-of-state summits since returning to power in August 2021. The SCO’s official website continues to list Afghanistan as an observer.
The absence of Taliban representatives means that discussions concerning Afghanistan will take place without direct participation from the authorities currently governing the country.
The summit comes as regional countries continue to closely monitor Afghanistan’s security situation and its potential impact on neighboring states. The meeting is also expected to provide an opportunity for SCO members to coordinate their positions on major regional challenges.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also attending the summit, where Pakistan is set to assume the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026–27.