Shanghai Cooperation Organization Research Articles

Assessment of the Scale and Scope of Energy Trade Within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Assessment of the Scale and Scope of Energy Trade Within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND TRADE OPENNESS: THE CASE OF SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION COUNTRIES

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between energy consumption, trade openness and economic growth for the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that have started to follow open foreign trade policies with the transition to market economy since the early 1990s. The study examines validity and aspect of the relationship between variables for the eight countries studied covering the period of 1990-2018 by using panel causality, panel cointegration and panel vector error correction model methods. According to the results of the study, there is a causal relationship among three variables mentioned. While there is a bidirectional causality between economic growth and trade openness and economic growth and energy consumption; there is unilateral causality between energy consumption and trade openness from trade openness to energy consumption. The results support long-term equilibrium among the variables, but the direction and validity of the relationship are different in the short term. Therefore, periodic differences need to be taken into consideration when determining the energy policies that will be implemented in the economic growth process by these countries’ policymakers.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM ON THE EXAMPLE OF INTEGRATION ASSOCIATIONS

The article analyzes the issue of transformation of the global development paradigm on the example of intergovernmental regional organizations, as one of the main actors of contemporary international relations. Within the framework of the current paradigm, starting from the period when the Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations was established, the dynamics of confrontations between international regional institutions, the change in this dynamics followed by collapse of the bipolar world order, are studied. The article touches upon the ongoing trends of transformation of the international monetary and financial system in the light of the emergence of new regional actors such as New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. These institutions are being considered as alternatives to the Bretton Woods institutions, particularly to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. It’s important to mention that the large variety of integration formats, established in the Great Eurasian area, have all chances to claim to the role of emerging pole in the transforming multipolar world order. The cornerstone on this path is considered to be relationship between the Eurasian Economic Union and the People's Republic of China (PRC) mainly in the context of the implementation of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. Moreover, further implementation of the North-South international transport corridor, designed to provide a logistic connection between the Baltic countries and India, together with the PRC’s initiative to create Silk Road Economic Belt, harmoniously fit into the broader concept of Comprehensive Eurasian Partnership, announced by the President of the Russian Federation in 2016 during St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Today the ongoing interregional cooperation in the Great Eurasian area, developing especially in the format of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) - Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the strategic plans of the EAEU on establishment of free trade zones with third countries before 2025, have all chances to create alternative solutions to the existing regional integration formats. The successful completion of the planned project, which, first of all, depends on the political will of the participating parties, will allow to lay a solid foundation for a transforming new world order. It will completely differ from the existing paradigm of the neoliberal world order.

THE MATTER OF TRAINING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY DIRECTION OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION MEMBER STATES

When the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is expanding, President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev identified the most important issues aimed at creating a new environment of good neighborliness and solidarity, both in Central Asia and in the SCO space. This article focuses on the joint appeal of the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the Youth, adopted at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the prospects of young people studying in the military.

Cultural Diplomacy of Uzbekistan and Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

The article analyzes the formation and development of relations between Uzbekistan in the framework of mutually beneficial multilateral cultural diplomacy within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a major international organization that emerged at the beginning of the XXI century and is now a major authority in the world.

Cultural Diplomacy of Uzbekistan and Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Cultural Diplomacy of Uzbekistan and Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

UZBEKISTAN-SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION: STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

The article is devoted to the analysis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, consideration of the prerequisites for its formation and the political association «Shanghai Five» as a basis for its formation, the subsequent extension of the SCO integration field due to the constant build-up and development of multilateral ties with countries located in the Central Asian and Asia- Pacific regions. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was officially established on June 15, 2001, is a permanent intergovernmental regional international association. Over the 20 years of its existence, the composition has grown significantly. In total, there are eighteen states with the statuses of a full participant, observer and dialogue partner. The fact that the organization strives to continuously expand the framework of cooperation is its specificity and distinguishes it from other associations in the region.

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION: PREREQUISITES FOR CREATION AND CURRENT STATE

The article is devoted to the analysis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, consideration of the prerequisites for its formation and the political association «Shanghai Five» as a basis for its formation, the subsequent extension of the SCO integration field due to the constant build-up and development of multilateral ties with countries located in the Central Asian and Asia- Pacific regions. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was officially established on June 15, 2001, is a permanent intergovernmental regional international association. Over the 20 years of its existence, the composition has grown significantly. In total, there are eighteen states with the statuses of a full participant, observer and dialogue partner. The fact that the organization strives to continuously expand the framework of cooperation is its specificity and distinguishes it from other associations in the region.

DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC AND THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION OF THE CONTEXT OF “ONE BELT, ONE ROAD” INITIATIVE

The article is devoted to the problems of developing relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the PRC within the framework of the SCO in the period from 2013 to 2020. China’s launch of its economic initiative “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) in the autumn of 2013 became a major factor in the further transformation of China’s relations with the countries of Central Asia. These processes naturally affected the most important international regional organization in the region - the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, since it was in its format that a significant part of the cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the PRC proceeded. But with the beginning of the implementation of the BRI by Beijing, a new model of relations between the PRC and the Kyrgyz Republic begins to take shape, in which economic issues were preferred to be resolved bilaterally, and problems related to security issues within the framework of the SCO. But since the Ufa summit of the SCO in 2015, this regional structure has been further developed, as a result of which much more attention is being paid to economic partnership within its framework, which caused a deepening of relations in this area, including between Kyrgyzstan and China.

On improving the methodology of interaction of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with the competent authorities of the member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

According to its potential, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO, Organization) belongs to the largest regional multilateral associations of states. On June 7, 2002, in St. Petersburg, the SCO heads of State, following up on the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization adopted earlier in 2001, signed an Agreement on the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). This Agreement fixed the tasks and functions of the RATS, as a permanent body of the Organization, in the status of a fool, to facilitate coordination and interaction of the competent authorities of the Parties in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism. In addition to tasks and functions, the Agreement also defined its structure — in the form of the Council of the SCO RATS, the governing body that makes binding decisions, as well as the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS, a permanent working body that carries out daily work to coordinate interaction. To date, the documents prepared by the RATS on anti-terrorist issues are regularly discussed and highly appreciated and approved by the top leadership of the countries at the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member States. As a natural result of the daily, almost twenty years of work, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, having passed a unique path of formation that has no effective analogues, began to play and occupy a special significant place in the transnational arena in the system of international regional bodies responsible for combating terrorism, separatism and extremism. At the same time, the current dynamics of the development of the situation in the world indicates the persistence of existing threats and the emergence of new security challenges. New challenges and threats, including those fueled by third-party geopolitical factors for the region, are not always obvious and obvious, and the search for tools and the development of techniques to fend them off remain labor- and resource-intensive. In these conditions, an asymmetric response is required, which will reduce the time and save energy for a response. The reserve of such optimization, in our opinion, is seen in a certain adjustment of the accepted methodology of interaction (methods of organization and construction of activities) The SCO RATS Executive Committee with the competent authorities of the Organization's member States by assigning it a number of new tasks.

Does SCO need its own energy charter treaty? From the perspective of Chinese BITs

Abstract Since the reform and opening up, China has developed into a major energy importer and become increasingly dependent on the international energy market. Owing to the impact of shale oil exploration and gas extraction in the USA, the influence of Russia and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on international oil prices, and the increasing development of clean energy technologies, China’s energy supply and security are facing serious challenges. This international energy landscape highlights the need to strengthen energy investment and cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States. However, energy resources are distributed unevenly among the SCO Member States. Specifically, some Member States are rich in energy resources and highly dependent on energy exports for national economic development, which can form a satisfactory supply and demand relationship with China. Therefore, strengthening energy cooperation in SCO is conducive to not only maintaining energy security in the SCO region but also promoting overall regional development and further deepening the economic interconnectivity. An important prerequisite for strengthening energy cooperation between countries is the legal mechanisms for energy investment protection. However, current legal foundations for energy investment among SCO Member States rely mainly on bilateral investment treaties between Member States, which are largely outdated and inconsistent. Likely, this status quo is not conducive to the stable regional energy cooperation for sustainable operation. The purpose of this article is to examine the need to build a unified legal mechanism for energy investment protection under the SCO framework. Accordingly, China should emphasize this legal mechanism to protect the country’s foreign energy investment in the SCO.

Cultural Relationship between Uzbekistan and Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Field of Tourism

Cultural Relationship between Uzbekistan and Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Field of Tourism

PAKISTAN’S INTER-GOVERNMENTALIST APPROACH TOWARDS SCO IN CONTEMPORARY REGIONAL SCENARIO AND CHALLENGES IN PAK-SCO COOPERATION

In 2016, Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Obligations for membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It had approached the SCO in the wake of ongoing political and economic transformations taking place at regional and international levels. Asia marks the start of a “New Age,” and Pakistan has already become part of this process by acquiring full membership of the SCO. In this backdrop, the proposed study seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities emanating from Pakistan’s membership of the SCO. Using the theoretical framework of Inter-Governmentalism, it analyses that how Pakistan would be able to pursue an active foreign policy to promote its national interests in future in compatibility with SCO goals. With the combined application of research methodology (qualitative data analysis) and theoretical framework (Inter-governmentalism), the study attempts to critically assess the challenges and prospects of SCO membership for the country. The study concludes the Inter-governmentalist approach as a rather balanced approach for the country in order to pursue national interests effectively and recommends some strategies to cope with the emanating challenges in the wake of its membership. Keywords: SCO, Pak-SCO. Inter-governmentalism, International cooperation

Шанхайская организация сотрудничества и проблемы региональной безопасности

The article considers the place and role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the modern system of international relations. It analyzes the Organization’s role in regional security, its expansion process, as well as the SCO’s political and legal basis and structural subdivisions. It is noted that regional security remains the priority of the SCO member countries and the Organization itself; the focus of the Organization is on the fight against international terrorism and extremism. The SCO groundworks were set within the framework of the Shanghai Five Group. The main reason for the rapprochement of the five states was the need to settle mutual claims borders. Cooperation within the SCO allowed Kazakhstan to settle several disputed terri- torial issues, and the systematic and transparent reduction of the armed forces in the border areas contributed to the mitigation of military-political tension. An important moment in the Organization’s formation was the admission of India and Pakistan as full members that occurred during the Astana Summit. That expansion resulted in making the SCO one of the largest international organizations and the largest regional association in the world today. The paper presents the main provisions of the Declarations signed in Bishkek and Qingdao. The role of Kazakhstan in the SCO and the activities of the Shanghai Organization during the COVID-19pandemic are presented as separate aspects of the article.

Turkey and the Eurasian Integration: Ideology or Pragmatism?

While Eurasianism as a political ideology has made a remarkable comeback to the Russian political scene following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, it has also attracted considerable interest among Turkish political and intellectual circles since the early 1990s. Yet, Eurasianism in the Turkish context has acquired different ideological meanings in time. In this regard, it is possible to highlight two main strands of Eurasianism in Turkey: one focusing on the prospects for advanced integration between Turkey and the Turkic republics of the Caucasus and Central Asia, and other concentrating on Turkeys strategic cooperation with Russia and China as an alternative to its long-standing ties with the West. While the first approach mainly appeals to nationalist-conservative groups in Turkey, the second is supported by the so-called national-patriotic groups. The article aims to discuss Turkeys role in two Eurasia-based international organizations - the Organization of Turkic States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - as they respectively correspond to the two versions of Eurasianism in Turkey. By analyzing the Turkish governments policies towards these two organizations, it would also be possible to reveal the influence of Eurasianism as an ideology on Ankaras official approach to the idea of Eurasian integration, in which pragmatic political and economic concerns play an equally important role.

Genesis of the Eurasian Idea and Eurasian Practice in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The idea of creating the Eurasian Union belongs to the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Until 2011, this initiative was popular in the academic and expert community of Kazakhstan. There has been a groundswell of support. It was partially embodied in the foundation of such regional organizations as the Eurasian Economic Community, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Astana has lost leadership in promoting Eurasian integration since 2011. Although Kazakhstan is an active participant in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the initiative is gradually being transferred to the Russian Federation. This article is devoted to the analysis of the genesis of the Eurasian idea and Eurasian practice in Kazakhstan, highlighting the qualitative stages in the dissemination of the ideas of Eurasianism and Eurasian integration in Kazakhstan. Comparative analysis, event analysis, political monitoring and process of tracking were used in the article. The authors conclude that the ideological content of Eurasianism in Kazakhstan has undergone a certain genesis and has almost exhausted itself at this stage. Kazakhstan has now taken a stand on rigid economic determinism in the implementation of the EAEU project and has moved away from the broad set of tasks of Eurasian integration, as originally presented by N. Nazarbayev. This is largely due to the internal political development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the changes in the ethnic composition of the population, the arrival of a new generation of managers, the beginning of a new stage in the formation of a national state and nation-building, which are reflected in new conceptual documents and national programs. At the same time, it was Eurasianism that corresponded to the specifics of Kazakhstani society and contributed to interethnic interaction and harmony, just as at this stage, Eurasian integration helps to preserve Kazakhstans sovereignty and strengthen its position in the system of global economic relations. However, there is a significant conceptual and semantic gap in understanding the essence of Eurasianism and the current practice of building a sustainable Eurasian integration core, an active participant of which Kazakhstan could become.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization in combating the latest security threats: impact on the countries of Central Asia

The article is devoted to the analysis of the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to overcome the latest threats to socio-economic and political security in its area of responsibility. Recently, membership in the SCO has been updated for the countries of Central Asia in the context of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and post-coronavirus recovery. Standing up against such challenges highlights a number of problems specific to the SCO itself, the effect of which is obvious to the Central Asian members of the Organization.

The Legal Framework for Foreign Investment in the Iranian Banking Sector

Abstract The banking services are heavily regulated in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The regulatory framework is based on the Monetary and Banking Act 1351 (1972) which was supplemented with the Interest-Free Banking Operations Act 1362 (1983) in post-revolutionary period. The Council of Money and Credit of the Central Bank of Iran performs the regulatory functions. Iran has tried to attract foreign investment in its banking sector under the Promotion and Protection of Foreign Investment Act 1381 (2002). The current regulatory regime provides four channels to foreign investors for investment in the banking sector. First is partnership with the existing Iranian banks; second is establishing a development bank, third is to establish foreign banks, and fourth is to establish branches of foreign banks. Iran is likely to attract foreign investment in its banking sector especially after its accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on September 22, 2021. This however will require reforms in the current regulatory regime that is stringent and ambiguous in many aspects related to the establishment, functions, operations, winding up of banks.

Comparison of the CSTO and the SCO as institutions of international relations

The post-Soviet countries are one of the main directions of Russian foreign policy, and the problems of national and regional security are key to the current agenda. These issues are dealt with by several international organizations in the region, while their functions overlap and there is no clear coordination between them. As a result, it becomes necessary to set priorities for Russian diplomacy in relation to these organizations. The article compares two international security organizations - the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - in terms of their effectiveness as institutions of international relations and compliance with Russian interests. The comparison is made through the history of the formation and development of these institutions, as well as the adopted regulatory documents and ongoing projects of the CSTO and the SCO. The scientific novelty of the research is the preference of one organization over another, while the result of most such studies is a statement about the need to make efforts for their parallel and full development. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that it is expedient to give priority to the development of the CSTO. The conclusion is made on the basis of the original goals of the founders of the organization, the alignment of forces in them, the dynamics of their development, their institutional problems and the elaboration of their conceptual documents.

India’s look North Policy to Connect Central Asia Policy: A Pragmatic Policy of Indian Foreign Policy

Look North Policy is the important policy of the India’s foreign policies. It was initiated by P.V. Narasimha Rao government and then it will be continuing by successor governments and it is still ongoing. India’s abroad first air base, Ayni Air base at Tajikistan, becoming the full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, becomes the part of Chabahar port in Iran, beginning of Mumbai-Moscow Corridor etc. all are the part of the India’s Look North Policy. India is considered one of the emerging major powers of the world. This emerging is accredited to several indicators, the primary ones being its demographic trends and a rapidly expanding economy and military. But India also needs to continue its growing status and becomes an influential actor on the international stage when compared to the United States, China, United Kingdom, France and Russia. Look North Policy to Connect Central Asia Policy may become helpful tool for India to become a major global power.