Uzbekistan, which holds the presidency of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), has offered to act as a bridge to address conflicts among member states and observer states of the grouping, without referring to differences between India and China, or between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Uzbekistan is preparing to sign a Comprehensive Plan for implementation of SCO Treaty on Long-term Good-neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027 at the SCO summit that started on Thursday as part of its efforts to build bridges, ET has learnt.

While a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the two-day summit hangs in balance, the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has cast shadow on the summit with the Armenian PM pulling out at the last moment. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are observers at SCO.

Sodiq Safoyev, deputy chairman of Uzbekistan senate, told a select group of reporters on Wednesday that the Samarkand SCO summit shows Uzbekistan’s growing influence and position at the international level.

““The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is recognised as a force that ensures stability. Against the background of the observed threats, the people of the whole world expect a lot from the Samarkand summit. People are hoping for the elimination of armed conflicts and disputes between countries,” he said.

“Uzbekistan’s desire to solve problems on a regional and global scale is also evident in the events within the SCO,” Safoyev said. “Bringing the participating countries together…eliminating mutual conflicts and bringing them together requires high diplomatic skills and a high reputation of the host country. There is no doubt that the SCO summit will be fruitful. It is achieved not only through meetings and discussions, but through practical work.”

He noted that the main strength of SCO is that the organisation is far from being a block or a closed structure. It is always open for cooperation in various forms and the Samarkand summit should prove that the organisation is a platform for establishing international mutual understanding, trust and cooperation, Safoyev said.

““The SCO summit will be a conference aimed at building new bridges and bringing people closer to each other, rather than intensifying some contradictions or building new walls, defining new borders,” he said.

Over 80 events have been held in all areas of cooperation during Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in SCO in 2022. As a result of large-scale events at the ongoing summit, it has planned to submit more than 30 documents for signing.

India will be the next chair of the SCO.