Workshop on activities of Shanghai Cooperation Organization held at YSU

YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is one of the largest international organizations, playing a significant role and holding considerable authority on the global stage. He noted that the SCO is responsible for strengthening macro-regional cooperation by promoting cultural, economic, and political values that unite its member states.

The rector highlighted that, in addition to extensive economic ties, the organization has experience in expanding educational and cultural cooperation, including academic and expert collaboration.

"As an organization expanding its international presence and creating new opportunities for cooperation among its member states each year, the SCO naturally attracts great interest from countries in the region, including Armenia. We would be pleased to further strengthen ties with Chinese universities in areas such as knowledge exchange, student mobility, joint research projects, and conferences," Hovhannes Hovhannisyan stated, emphasizing that collaboration with Eurasian universities is a priority for YSU.

He also noted that in recent years, YSU has placed significant emphasis on Chinese language education, offering both bachelor’s and master’s programs in the field.

"As Armenia's largest university, Yerevan State University is deeply interested in strengthening academic relations with SCO member states," he concluded.

Charge d’Affaires of China in Armenia Chen Ming highlighted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 in China and named after the city of Shanghai.

"In July 2024, China assumed the presidency of the organization, and this fall, we are preparing to host the SCO summit in Tianjin, near Beijing," he said.

Chen Ming underscored that over the past 24 years, the organization has continuously expanded.

"Initially, the SCO had only six member states, whereas today, it includes 26 countries. The organization promotes multilateral cooperation in various fields, including politics, security, economy, and humanitarian aid," he stated.

He also noted that Armenia and China are reliable partners who cooperate on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests. Their partnership extends not only to bilateral relations but also to international organizations such as the SCO and the United Nations.

"Armenia is our trusted partner in strengthening and expanding the SCO. At the 2015 SCO summit in Ufa, Armenia was granted dialogue partner status, and in 2016, it officially became an SCO dialogue partner," he said.

Member of the Armenian National Assembly, Alexey Sandikov, emphasized that the SCO successfully combines politics, economy, security, and humanitarian issues, while also integrating counter-terrorism efforts and cultural exchanges to unite its member states.

"Armenia is committed to expanding multilateral cooperation and actively participates in SCO workshops on security, digital systems, economy, and education," he noted.

Anahit Karapetyan, Head of the Asia-Pacific Department at the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also spoke at the event, outlining the pathways of Armenia’s cooperation with the SCO.

At the conclusion of the seminar, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers.