**SCO Secretary General Highlights Regional Economic Cooperation at Major Qingdao Conference**
The Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Nurlan Yermekbayev, participated in a high-profile conference in Qingdao focused on advancing regional trade and economic collaboration between China and SCO member countries. The event brought together diplomats, government officials, business leaders, and industry experts from across the SCO community to discuss strategies for unlocking the region’s economic potential.
The conference, hosted at the SCO Pearl International Exhibition Center and opened by the Governor of Shandong Province, Zhou Naixiang, served as a platform for key stakeholders to outline new initiatives and review progress in economic cooperation. In his address, Secretary General Yermekbayev detailed the SCO’s ongoing projects, strategic objectives, and future vision for promoting collaboration in trade, investment, logistics, and cross-border connectivity. He emphasized the importance of leveraging pilot zones, transport and logistics hubs, trade fairs, and non-governmental platforms to support practical cooperation among member states.
Highlighting a successful example, Yermekbayev praised the China-SCO Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Demonstration Zone in Qingdao for its formative role in strengthening business and interregional ties within the SCO. This zone, he noted, demonstrates the benefits of concentrated efforts to facilitate trade and networking among diverse member countries.
The opening ceremony was attended by an array of high-level participants, including senior representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Cambodia and other SCO nations. In a significant move aimed at enhancing future cooperation, the People’s Government of Shandong Province announced the “Qingdao Initiative,” an action plan to reinforce trade and economic links across the SCO region.
Alongside the main conference agenda, Secretary General Yermekbayev took part in other key events, including the launch of the Chinese stage of the Global Arabian Horse Cup. Organized by the Chinese Equestrian Industry Association with United Arab Emirates partners, the event was held at the China-SCO Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Demonstration Zone, further illustrating the diversity of emerging SCO collaborative ventures.
Additionally, Yermekbayev presented certificates to participants of the Young Rescuer youth summer camp, a program designed by the China-SCO Demonstration Zone together with the China-SCO Center for Cooperation in Emergency Medicine, underlining the SCO’s commitment to youth development and humanitarian collaboration.
During his visit, the Secretary General engaged with local press, sharing his impressions of the conference and commenting on the socio-economic development of Shandong Province and Qingdao. He highlighted the region’s pivotal contribution to broader SCO objectives and reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to deepening interregional cooperation.
