SCO Youth Council Opens in Bishkek

On July 17-18, 2026, the 19th meeting of the Youth Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Bishkek under the chairmanship of the Kyrgyz side.

The opening ceremony featured addresses by Ulan Mamatkanov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and Soyuzbek Nadyrbekov, First Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy.

Representatives of the SCO member states discussed priority areas for the development of youth cooperation, including the expansion of humanitarian exchanges, the implementation of joint projects, and the strengthening of interaction among youth organizations.

Piao Yangfan, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, highly commended the activities of the Kyrgyz Republic during its chairmanship of the SCO Youth Council, noting the rich program of events of the chair. She emphasized that young people are regarded as a strategic resource for the development of the Organization's member states and as one of the key factors in strengthening good-neighborliness and mutual understanding across the Eurasian space.

DSG noted that the SCO's youth agenda today encompasses such promising areas as digital technologies, engineering creativity, innovation, tourism, and entrepreneurship. This approach aligns with the member states' course toward modernizing the Organization and enhancing the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation.

SCO Youth Council Opens in Bishkek

As part of the program of events, the SCO Youth Tourism Forum was held on July 17. Participants discussed issues of youth tourism, including the development of ecotourism and mountaineering, the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, and the expansion of exchanges among young people.

The Deputy Secretary-General took part in a press conference, answering questions from media representatives.