‘No one bothers anyone’ within SCO – Putin envoy

Kirill Dmitriev has praised the spirit of cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The defining feature that sets the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) apart from the West is its commitment to genuine cooperation, according to Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide on international economic affairs.

The SCO’s 2025 summit opened on Sunday in Tianjin, China, bringing together more than 20 member and partner nations. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Dmitriev said the meeting showcased countries “cooperating between themselves, which contrasts the disjointed Western world.”

Within the organization “no one bothers anyone,” he added, and “the entire world sees this spirit of cooperation, even as there are many forces, particularly in Europe, whose aims are against cooperation.”

Western governments have been struggling with divisions over major global issues, including international trade practices, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, and the Ukraine conflict – all of which have generated friction between the US and its allies as well as within the European Union.

Russia and China have argued that these difficulties stem from US efforts to preserve the unipolar dominance it enjoyed in the 1990s. Both countries promote a multipolar international order they say would be fairer and more democratic.

Putin is scheduled for an extensive program in China, culminating in his participation in the September 3 events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

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