SCO Summit 2026 in Bishkek: Members and Facts
Why in the news
Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, hosted the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, coinciding with a quarter century since the Eurasian grouping came into being.
Key facts
- Venue: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; 26th summit, in the SCO’s 25th year.
- Formed: 2001, at Shanghai, succeeding the Shanghai Five.
- Secretariat: Beijing; the anti-terror body RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) is at Tashkent.
- India’s record: hosted the 2023 summit in virtual mode, plus the SCO Heads of Government meeting.
Membership timeline
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 2001 | China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (founders) |
| 2017 | India, Pakistan |
| 2023 | Iran |
| 2024 | Belarus |
About Kyrgyzstan
- Official name: Kyrgyz Republic; a mountainous, landlocked country in Central Asia.
- Once a Soviet union republic called Kirgiziya; independence declared on 31 August 1991.
- Dominated by the Tien Shan mountains; capital Bishkek lies in the Chu River valley in the north.
- Neighbours: Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Exam angle
- Venue and number of the latest SCO summit: Bishkek, 26th.
- Seat of the Secretariat: Beijing; seat of RATS: Tashkent.
- Year of entry: India and Pakistan 2017, Iran 2023, Belarus 2024.