China

The Kurdish issue remains unresolved despite earlier agreements. Kurdish forces still control about 30 percent of Syrian territory, including key oil and gas sites.

Armenia’s SCO ties are “impossible without Azerbaijan,” says Georgian analyst Giorgi Qoqua, citing Baku’s role in the Middle Corridor and Zangezur route.

Azerbaijan, a dialogue partner in the SCO since 2015, is shaping its role in Eurasian trade and transport as the bloc gains global weight.

She noted that while Russia portrays the summit as proof it is not isolated, the real balance tilts toward China

BAKU — September 3, 2025. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is evolving from a dialogue platform into a venue where major non-Western powers coordinate...

Earlier this week, Peskov had said a Putin–Aliyev meeting on the summit sidelines was possible, but no sit-down materialized.

The encounter took place on Tiananmen Square, where China staged a massive military parade featuring marching columns, heavy equipment and a flyover by combat aircraft

The Minsk Group is buried. The Middle Corridor is inevitable. Turkey anchors security, China projects economic gravity, Russia is relegated to the margins

Pakistan and Armenia established diplomatic relations for the first time

India was the only SCO member to oppose Azerbaijan’s entry—an action he called short-sighted and driven by “resentment” over Baku’s close ties with Pakistan.