Authors: Naghi Ahmadov and Gultan Abdinova*

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana on July 4 marked a pivotal moment for regional cooperation and economic integration. Participants at the “SCO Plus” summit, held under the slogan “Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue—Striving Towards a Sustainable Peace,” called on the global community to launch an open global dialogue and embrace a new security paradigm.

Azerbaijan’s participation, highlighted by the presence of President Ilham Aliyev, underlined the country’s commitment to multilateral dialogue and joint efforts to address regional and global challenges. Moreover, President Aliyev’s participation in an SCO summit for the second time after the 2022 event in Samarkand underscores Azerbaijan’s growing influence within the organization.

The organization was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and currently has ten full members. The founders were joined by India and Pakistan (2017), Iran (2022) and Belarus (2024). As the authority and influence of the organization grows, interest in its activities from other states and international structures naturally grows. According to Secretary-General Zhang Ming, several countries want to join the SCO. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Sri Lanka have reportedly applied to change their status from dialogue partner to observer country. This is considered an intermediate stage on the road to full membership of the organization. All the above-mentioned countries that joined the SCO were initially observers. Only two observer countries remained after Belarus joined the organization: Mongolia and Afghanistan. Since the latter does not have a universally recognized government, the SCO should therefore increase the number of observers.

It should be recalled that Azerbaijan was granted the status of a dialogue partner at the Ufa Summit in 2015. According to the Memorandum signed in Beijing in 2016, the parties agreed to cooperate in the following areas of mutual interest: strengthening regional security and stability; combating terrorism, extremism and separatism; action against illicit production and circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors; combating cybercrime and other forms of transnational organized crime; cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, as well as promotion of direct relations between small and medium-sized enterprises; interaction on legal and customs issues; effective use of existing transport and communications infrastructure, development of transregional multimodal transport corridors and transit potential; development of mutual activities in the fields of culture, science and technology, education, health and tourism; mutual assistance in the prevention of natural and man-made emergencies and elimination of their consequences; strengthening intercivilization dialogue, multiculturalism and tolerance.

However, Azerbaijan’s ambitions have always been higher than the status of a dialogue partner and the country has repeatedly expressed its intention to further expand cooperation.

During the meeting with Zhang Gaoli, member of the Standing Committee of the Central Politburo of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China and Senior Vice Premier of the State Council on May 31, 2016, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated that Azerbaijan considers the status of a dialogue partner granted to it by the SCO as a first step towards full integration into the organization. He added that cooperation with this organization occupies an important place in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.

On April 16, 2018, in a letter of congratulations to Ilham Aliyev for the re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping mentioned that Azerbaijan had recently submitted an application to the SCO for membership as an observer state. He added that China attaches great importance to Azerbaijan’s application and will consider it with other SCO member states on the basis of unanimous consent.

Later, during a meeting with a delegation led by Chairman of the Chinese People’s Association for Foreign Friendship Li Xiaolin on August 31, 2018, First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva reiterated that Azerbaijan had recently submitted an application for observer status with the SCO.

On July 3, 2024, the Joint Statement on Establishing a Strategic Partnership adopted by Azerbaijan and China stated that China supports the improvement of Azerbaijan’s legal status in the SCO. The parties noted that special attention would be paid to this issue within the framework of the Chinese chairmanship next year. Xi Jinping also invited the President of Azerbaijan to the SCO summit, which will be held in China.

As it stands, Azerbaijan is interested in consistently expanding its interaction with the SCO in general and with individual SCO member states. Azerbaijan has close and good-neighborly relations with all SCO member states. In particular, the recent adoption of the Azerbaijan-China Joint Declaration on Establishing Strategic Partnership is a notable development.

It is worth noting that after obtaining the status of an observer, Azerbaijan will have the right to participate in public SCO meetings, discuss issues on the agenda of the organization without voting rights and access to some documents. Today, Azerbaijan actively participates in the activities of the SCO in various areas only as a dialogue partner. However, Azerbaijan’s accession to the SCO as an observer will be significant in the regional and global context.

The SCO provides a platform for Azerbaijan to articulate its distinctive role as a bridge between East and West, a role it is increasingly capable of playing. Azerbaijan implements many important projects related to transportation, energy and infrastructure projects in a bilateral and sometimes in a trilateral format. Therefore, Azerbaijan could serve as a hub for promoting trade and transportation corridors in the Eurasian landmass and therefore has the capacity to make a profitable contribution to the SCO members.

Therefore, the SCO’s vision of connecting Asia with Europe through infrastructure and trade is particularly in line with Azerbaijan’s strategic objectives. By joining the SCO, Azerbaijan not only benefits from increased trade and investment, but also positions itself as a key player in shaping Eurasia’s economic landscape.

It is noteworthy to mention that Azerbaijan has made substantial investments in infrastructure, which has strengthened its role as a major logistics hub in recent years. The development of the North-South and East-West transport corridors, along with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, is an example of Azerbaijan’s efforts to improve regional connectivity. These projects facilitate faster trade routes between Asia and Europe, contributing to the overall economic growth of the wider region.

It is noteworthy that the environmental agenda is becoming increasingly relevant for the organization in connection with global warming. The SCO has already held a forum on green development, in which Azerbaijan participated on July 8-9 in the Chinese city of Qingdao. This is the first high-level event among SCO member states focusing on green development. We can note in passing that 2024 has been declared the Year of SCO Ecology and 2025 the SCO Year of Sustainable Development.

The SCO’s green agenda coincides with Azerbaijan’s active involvement in global climate initiatives. The fact that Azerbaijan hosted the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) underscores its broader engagement in global issues.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the SCO can play a crucial role in the reconstruction and restoration of Karabakh, which was liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020.

Meanwhile, the participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia in one integration project, especially a project like the SCO, can have a positive impact on the security structure of the South Caucasus region in particular and the Eurasian region as a whole. A secure, stable and peaceful South Caucasus ultimately leads to a peaceful world that, by all standards, is in the interests of all stakeholders in the SCO.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s efforts to enhance cooperation with the SCO confirm that its foreign policy is aligned with the SCO’s vision of a secure and cooperative Eurasian community. Azerbaijan primarily emphasizes geo-economic priorities and supports international transport corridors with tangible actions. By leveraging this platform, Azerbaijan can continue to advance its economic development and regional cooperation goals. This approach reflects a pragmatic and ambitious vision for the future, with Azerbaijan’s strategic initiatives and international partnerships contributing to a stable and prosperous Eurasian region.

In short, by seeking a strengthened partnership with SCO, Azerbaijan confirms its traditional balanced foreign policy, aimed at exploiting the potential of cooperation with the East and the West. Accordingly, Azerbaijan’s involvement in SCO serves the interests of both parties and strengthens stability in the Eurasian space.

*Gultan Abdinova, Research intern at AIR Center and Master of Public Administration student at Tsinghua University