Kazakhstan calls for creating SCO Development Bank, Water Resource Center
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov addressed the meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The Head of Government emphasized that SCO countries currently shape one-third of global GDP, with the volume of internal trade within the organization approaching $1 trillion. He stressed that, possessing significant economic potential, the SCO must continue its course toward comprehensive growth based on the principles of equal partnership.
"It is important to develop and pragmatically utilize available resources to stimulate predictable trade. One of the crucial steps could be the establishment of the SCO Development Bank and the introduction of a mechanism for supporting investment projects," Olzhas Bektenov noted.
The Kazakh Premier also announced that in 2026, Astana will host the first meeting of SCO experts dedicated to Artificial Intelligence.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan proposed creating an SCO center for the study of water resource issues and using the infrastructure of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) to implement specific projects in the interests of the member states.
It is noteworthy that the SCO Heads of Government Council meeting is a key platform for discussing the economic cooperation among the organization's member states and elaborating common approaches to the development of trade and investment.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Tajikistan initiated synergy between the CIS, CSTO, and SCO approaches in the field of deradicalization.