Bolat Nurgaliyev is a former deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan and former secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Currently, he is the director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute of the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His research fields include global politics and the economy, and national and regional security trends.

A photo presents the front profile of Bolat Nurgaliyev. He stands holding an open book against the backdrop of a room with several wall-mounted photos.

Bolat Nurgaliyev

The SCO, founded in 2001, has become one of the largest trans-regional organizations in the world, playing an increasingly important role in dialogue among different civilizations and cultural exchanges. Bolat Nurgaliyev explains the differences between the SCO and similar organizations dominated by the West, especially the “Oriental wisdom” of the former.

CNS: How do you see the SCO, a regional yet international organization connecting 18 countries and nearly half of the world’s population?

Bolat Nurgaliyev: Although the SCO is a relatively young organization, it has made many unique contributions to regional—and even global—security, stability and sustainable development. Its goal is to create mutual trust among its member states who share borders, solve problems and jointly respond to the challenges to national and regional security and stability.

With its expansion, it has become an important part of the international system with its influence going beyond its member states.

In the 1990s, the “Shanghai Five,” five countries sharing borders—China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan—formed a new collective security model, opening a new chapter in the Asia–Pacific region. In 2001, it was succeeded by the SCO, with Uzbekistan becoming the sixth member. Later, India and Pakistan became its new members. The SCO came into being to jointly fight terrorism, separatism and extremism. With time, its cooperation areas have expanded, covering politics, economy, society, humanities and other fields.

Afghanistan has always remained important in the SCO’s security agenda. The SCO-Afghanistan Liaison Group is pooling in regional efforts for constructive engagement with all parties involved for a peaceful settlement of the Afghan issue.

The SCO has successfully completed the mission entrusted to it at the beginning of its establishment, optimized its sustainable development and responded flexibly to the international development process.

CNS: How is the SCO different from similar organizations led by the West? What kind of “Oriental wisdom” does it embody?

Bolat Nurgaliyev: When I was the SCO secretary general, I studied the views of all parties on the SCO and got extensive opinions, especially from the West. Some people tend to think that the SCO is a political and military alliance against the West, but this is not true. The SCO is a transparent and open international organization that can conduct East–West cooperation.

The difference with similar international organizations is that the SCO has a highly open operation mechanism, including the public release of all documents and information. Although there are debates and disputes among the member states in the meetings, all parties participate in the discussions and the SCO adopts decisions openly on the basis of consensus.

Another difference is that the SCO adheres to the “Shanghai Spirit.” In the attitude of equal consultation, all member states respect the cultures of countries with different nationalities and religious beliefs, and jointly promote human development and progress. This is not only in line with the common interests of all member states but also reflects an advanced form of civilization exchange.

It is this spirit that constitutes the equality of the SCO dialogue platform. The SCO respects the interests and opinions of every participating country, and all countries on the platform, big or small, rich or poor, have an equal voice. There are few such precedents in international practice, especially considering the composition of the countries in the SCO.

CNS: The combined geographical area of the SCO member states includes the birthplaces of many civilizations, where different civilizations had dialogue and exchanges. Does that help the member states learn from each other?

Bolat Nurgaliyev: The area has a profound cultural tradition and is the birthplace of important civilizations, religions and cultures in the world. The SCO member states share a common geographical and historical relationship; various civilizations collided and had exchanges in the region, forming a historical tradition of mutual respect, openness and tolerance, proving that “a close neighbor is better than a distant relative.”

I think this is the secret of mutual attraction. The civilizational backgrounds of the member states are indeed very different, but they all have the desire to work toward friendly relations: to jointly build their homes and be responsible for regional coordinated development. This goal has been skillfully translated into the SCO’s constitution, political principles, organizational plans and cooperation projects.

The differences among the member states are not a problem, but a source of vitality. Humanistic mutual learning in the SCO is a good example, which has become another driving force to promote the development of the SCO besides security and economic cooperation.

CNS: What is the role of Central Asian countries in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

Bolat Nurgaliyev: The projects under the BRI have made many impossibilities possible, thanks to the relatively stable political environment in the region, which has strengthened economic and trade ties among the countries. In fact, the SCO has created favorable conditions for the cooperation concept put forward by China, which has greatly benefited the promotion of the BRI.

The SCO member states, observer countries and dialogue partners are mostly countries located along the Belt and Road. Reinvigorating the ancient Silk Road and other Eurasian land arteries has been in the long-term development plans of various countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI in Kazakhstan in 2013. Over the years, the participation of more than 140 countries and 30 international organizations has proven the great potential of the BRI. China’s accumulated investment in the countries along the Belt and Road has crossed $100 billion, and Central Asia has become the heartland of BRI cooperation.

Kazakhstan, located in the center of Eurasia, is a key crossroads between Europe and Asia. As the place where the BRI was first announced, it’s one of the first countries to carry out cooperation with China under the BRI, and also an important partner of China in Central Asia. In addition, Kazakhstan’s national development plan “Bright Road” aligns with the BRI. Kazakhstan will continue to improve its infrastructure to unleash its potential as a transit transport.

CNS: The COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have profoundly changed the international landscape and the world order. What role will the SCO play in this changed scenario?

Bolat Nurgaliyev: The pandemic has become a turning point in the development of the international community. Every country now faces a major test: to choose between multilateralism and unilateralism, openness and seclusion, cooperation and confrontation.

On one hand, the sound institution of the SCO and all-round close cooperation among its member states have created the necessary conditions for the security and sustainable development of the region. On the other hand, the international influence of the SCO is improving, and its successful experience is being widely referenced by other international and regional organizations. In addition, since its establishment, the SCO has engaged in the international system in a positive way, focusing on a wide range of topics, and its attraction to countries in Europe and Asia has gradually increased.

The changing reality is a test for the SCO. In the past, the SCO explored a successful road of cooperation in practice. With the evolution of international politics, the SCO now needs to optimize its cooperation concept and mechanism while consolidating its development achievements, which is normal for any growing international organization. Only by adapting to external changes and making internal adjustments can it become a stable force in an unstable world.

(Interviewed by Zhang Shuo)