Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) signed a joint statement condemning the war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran and Western sanctions against some member states of the organization. The statement was adopted after a two-day summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
The document, titled the «Bishkek Declaration», was signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders of SCO member states. The organization includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Condemnation of attacks, sanctions, and support for Palestine
The SCO condemned «military strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran», which resulted in numerous civilian casualties and significant economic damage to the country. Participants stated that the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran «violate the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter and create serious risks for international peace, security, and stability».
«Member states express their sincere condolences to the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the tragic death of Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, as well as to the families of the victims», the declaration reads. SCO members also reaffirmed «their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran» and called for the conflict to be resolved exclusively through political and diplomatic means.
The declaration also notes that Israel’s attacks on Palestine have destabilized West Asia. «Member states note that the only possible way to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East is a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue», the document states.
Without directly naming U.S. sanctions against Iran and countries doing business with it, as well as Western sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine, SCO members stated they oppose any «unilateral coercive measures» that violate UN rules and the World Trade Organization and may have «a negative impact on the global economy».
Iran’s rights to nuclear program and economic cooperation
Organization leaders also supported the rights of Iran as a state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Five states — the U.S., Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France — have nuclear state status under the NPT. Other treaty parties are obligated not to acquire nuclear weapons but have the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, including building civilian reactors and applying nuclear technologies for research and medicine.
Although the U.S. has long accused Iran of hidden intentions to develop nuclear weapons, Tehran has consistently denied these allegations, insisting its program is exclusively peaceful. It was on this basis that the U.S. and Iran signed a nuclear deal in 2015, under which Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent — a level sufficient for civilian reactors but far below the levels needed to create nuclear weapons.
However, under President Donald Trump, the U.S. first launched strikes on Iran in 2025 and then — together with Israel — began a war against Iran in February 2026, claiming the military actions were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump insisted that Iran must completely abandon its nuclear program, including the ability to enrich uranium on its own soil. Iran rejected this demand, stating it would mean relinquishing its rights under the NPT.
On Tuesday, the SCO supported Iran’s position; Iran itself is a member of the organization. SCO members emphasized their «inalienable right» to conduct research, produce, and use atomic energy «for peaceful purposes», as well as to engage in fair, sustainable, and mutually beneficial international cooperation in this field without discrimination. They stated that any measures restricting this right «are contrary to international law».
Economic cooperation was also one of the summit’s key topics, as the U.S. and Israel war against Iran continues to complicate trade through vital sea routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. This, in turn, has caused disruptions in global supply chains and affected energy and financial markets.
In their Bishkek Declaration, members stated they «will support and strengthen an open, transparent, fair, inclusive, and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system based on widely accepted international principles and rules, which promotes global economic development, ensures fair market access, and guarantees special and differential treatment for developing countries». They also said they would implement the «SCO Economic Development Strategy until 2030» to deepen economic cooperation and continue «developing practical dialogue to strengthen financial cooperation».
Amid disruptions in the global energy market due to the war against Iran, SCO members also stated they «support the expansion of inclusive and mutually beneficial cooperation in energy» and agreed to implement the «SCO Member States Energy Cooperation Strategy until 2030».
India and Pakistan dispute counterterrorism efforts
India and Pakistan, as has happened on other multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, disagreed on the issue of «terrorism», each accusing the other of supporting it. Since the late 1980s, India has accused Pakistan of arming, financing, and providing sanctuary to armed groups to support an insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir. Since the 1990s, New Delhi has also accused Pakistan of supporting «terrorist» acts on Indian soil, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Pakistan rejects accusations of systematically using armed groups against India but has acknowledged individual cases where militants who carried out attacks on India were proven to be Pakistani citizens. In recent years, Islamabad has also accused India of supporting armed groups that carry out attacks on Pakistan — an allegation New Delhi rejects.
On Tuesday, Modi called terrorism «a serious challenge to all of humanity» and urged countries to avoid «double standards» on the issue.
«We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism financing, recruitment, radicalization, and safe havens. We must speak in one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue», Modi said. «We must send a strong message to countries that use terrorism as a tool of policy and provide safe havens and support to terrorists: terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone». Observers widely interpreted his comments as directed at Pakistan.
Sharif, however, insisted that Islamabad itself is a victim of terrorism. «Recalling Pakistan’s immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, I reaffirmed that terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations», he said.
In the Bishkek Declaration
