Discussion Concerning Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Multipolarity
Posted below are excerpts from an article by Pepe Escobar regarding discussions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that took place at this year's Eastern Economic Forum. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a Eurasian body that deals with matters of the mutual political, economic and security concerns of its member countries.
Escobar writes:
"Taking place only two weeks before another essential annual gathering -- the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand -- it is no wonder some of the top discussions at the EEF revolve around the increasing economic interpolation between the SCO and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
[...]
"[A]rguably the top discussion this Tuesday [September 6] at the forum was centred on the role of the SCO.
"Apart from the current full members -- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, four Central Asians (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan), plus the recent accession of Iran -- no less than 11 further nations want to join, from observer Afghanistan to dialogue partner Turkey.
"Grigory Logvinov, the SCO's deputy secretary general, stressed how the economic, political and scientific potential of players comprising 'the center of gravity' for Asia -- over a quarter of the world's GDP, 50 per cent of the world's population -- has not been fully harvested yet.
"Kirill Barsky, from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, explained how the SCO is actually the model of multipolarity, according to its charter, compared to the backdrop of 'destructive processes' launched by the west.
"And that leads to the economic agenda in the Eurasian integration progress, with the Russian-led Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) configured as the SCO's most important partner.
"Barsky identifies the SCO as 'the core Eurasian structure, forming the agenda of Greater Eurasia within a network of partnership organizations.' That's where the importance of the cooperation with ASEAN comes in.
"Barsky could not but evoke Mackinder, Spykman and Brzezinski -- who regarded Eurasia 'as an object to be acted upon the wishes of western states, confined within the continent, away from the ocean shores, so the western world could dominate in a global confrontation of land and sea. The SCO as it developed can triumph over these negative concepts.'
"And here we hit a notion widely shared from Tehran to Vladivostok:
"Eurasia no longer as 'an object of colonization by 'civilized Europe' but again an agent of global policy.'
"Sun Zuangnzhi from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) elaborated on China's interest in the SCO. He focused on achievements: In the 21 years since its founding, a mechanism to establish security between China, Russia and Central Asian states evolved into 'multi-tiered, multi-sector cooperation mechanisms.'
"Instead of 'turning into a political instrument,' the SCO should capitalize on its role of dialogue forum for states with a difficult history of conflicts -- 'interactions are sometimes difficult' -- and focus on economic cooperation 'on health, energy, food security, reduction of poverty.'
"Rashid Alimov, a former SCO secretary general [...] stressed the 'high expectations' from Central Asian nations, the core of the organization. The original idea remains -- based on the indivisibility of security on a trans-regional level in Eurasia.
[...]
"As Central Asia does not have an outlet to the sea, it is inevitable, as Alimov stressed, that Uzbekistan's foreign policy privileges involvement in accelerated intra-SCO trade. Russia and China may be the leading investors, and now 'Iran also plays an important role. Over 1,200 Iranian companies are working in Central Asia.'
[...]
"Sergey Storchak of Russian bank VEB explained the workings of the 'SCO interbank consortium.' Partners have used 'a credit line from the Bank of China' and want to sign a deal with Uzbekistan. The SCO interbank consortium will be led by the Indians on a rotation basis -- and they want to step up its game. At the upcoming summit in Samarkand, Storchak expects a road map for the transition towards the use of national currencies in regional trade.
"Kumar Rajan from the School of International Studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University articulated the Indian position. He went straight to the point: 'India wants a 21st Asian century. Close cooperation between India and China is necessary. They can make the Asian century happen.'
"Rajan remarked how India does not see the SCO as an alliance, but committed to the development and political stability of Eurasia.
"He made the crucial point about connectivity revolving around India 'working with Russia and Central Asia with the INSTC' -- the International North South Transportation Corridor, and one of its key hubs, the Chabahar port in Iran: 'India does not have direct physical connectivity with Central Asia. The INSTC has the participation of an Iranian shipping line with 300 vessels, connecting to Mumbai. President Putin, in the [recent] Caspian meeting, referred directly to the INSTC.'
"Crucially, India not only supports the Russian concept of Greater
Eurasia Partnership but is engaged in setting up a free trade agreement
with the EAEU [...].
"In all of the above nuanced interventions, some themes are constant. After the Afghanistan disaster and the end of the U.S. occupation there, the stabilizing role of the SCO cannot be overstated enough. An ambitious road map for cooperation is a must -- probably to be approved at the Samarkand summit. All players will be gradually changing to trade in bilateral currencies. And creation of transit corridors is leading to the progressive integration of national transit systems."
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 8 - November 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/MS52087.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca