Central Asia, Afghanistan and International Order: Challenges and Opportunities of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Abstract

At the present stage of globalization, most regional and local problems become transnational issues or even international conflicts, therefore regional partnerships and regional networks, including those involving governments, sub-regional and regional organizations are becoming crucial actors for implementing solutions of these conflicts. One of these multilateral security structures on the EurAsian continent is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Founded in 2001 originally as a political union of five countries—People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan; plus four observers Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran)—aiming to settle the border issues of the former Soviet–Chinese border, today, the SCO has grown into a full-fledged multilateral framework. This paper brings a brief highlight on the factors contributing to stability and mutual beneficial projects in the region and the SCO measures to curb potential threats. But it also enlightens the uprising of a well known player in the region, Turkey, with its historic heritage but first of all with its contemporary mighty being at the same time a NATO top member and an official candidate for EU membership. The Spring in the whole Greater Middle East will have long lasting repercussion and impact on the wide and crucial EurAsian region