A two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for heads of government concluded in Moscow on Tuesday, marking the group’s first major gathering since the leaders’ summit held in China in early September. While the previous meeting focused on long-term strategic alignment, the Moscow gathering centered on practical cooperation among member-state prime ministers and high-level delegations from observer states.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin chaired the meeting, emphasizing expanded trade, economic investment, energy coordination, and technological cooperation. Delegations discussed accelerating joint infrastructure projects, improving customs efficiencies, and reducing dependency on Western financial structures—an objective that has grown more urgent as sanctions continue to reshape regional economic patterns.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used his address to deliver a firm message on what he called “zero tolerance” for terrorism. He referenced the November 10th car bombing in Delhi, which killed fifteen people and has been attributed to Kashmiri militant factions. Jaishankar urged the SCO to deepen intelligence sharing and counterterrorism mechanisms, highlighting the threat of cross-border militancy to regional stability.
Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Lukashevich reiterated the need to strengthen independent financial institutions that were first introduced during the September summit in Tianjin. He argued that establishing parallel economic structures is essential for protecting member states from sanctions pressure and ensuring long-term financial sovereignty.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the summit sessions directly, he held bilateral meetings with several delegations, including Jaishankar. During their Tuesday meeting, the two discussed India’s potential participation in the production of Russia’s Su-57 fighter jet and reviewed ongoing defense and energy cooperation. Putin also confirmed his visit to India in early December, underscoring the continued importance of Russian-Indian relations despite intense diplomatic pressure from the United States. Washington, under President Donald Trump, has imposed tariffs on India and expanded sanctions targeting Russia in an attempt to deter New Delhi from purchasing Russian oil. Despite U.S. claims that India has halted such imports, Indian officials deny this, and Russian media reports suggest Indian refineries have already secured their December shipments.
One notable absence from the summit was Afghanistan. Although an official SCO observer since 2012, the Taliban-led government was not invited. Kabul has publicly stated that Russia had previously assured them they would be included in SCO-related summits hosted in Russia. Diplomatic sources speculate that Pakistan’s tense relations with the Taliban government may have influenced the decision to exclude Afghanistan from the gathering.