Svetlana Smirnova participated in the International Conference dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
An international videoconference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held on June 5, 2026. The event, organized by the Chinese SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, brought together representatives of public diplomacy organizations, the expert and scientific community of the SCO member states and partner countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Maldives, Myanmar and Nepal. The participants discussed the outcomes of the SCO's development over a quarter of a century, as well as prospects for further strengthening cooperation between states and peoples.
The meeting was chaired by Yu Xueyong, Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Chinese Committee for Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
Zuo Hongbo, Secretary General of the SCO Chinese Committee for Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. In her speech, she stressed the importance of preserving and developing the "Shanghai Spirit" based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity and the desire for joint development, and emphasized the role of public diplomacy and humanitarian cooperation in strengthening mutual understanding between the peoples of the SCO member states.
Svetlana Smirnova, Chairperson of the General Council and First Deputy Secretary General, spoke at the videoconference on behalf of the World Peoples Assembly. She congratulated the participants on the 25th anniversary of the SCO and stressed that over a quarter of a century the organization has become one of the most influential international associations in the modern world, playing an important role in strengthening security, developing economic cooperation, humanitarian cooperation and good-neighborly relations between states. In her speech, she paid special attention to the increasing role of public diplomacy in the context of modern global challenges.
According to Svetlana Smirnova, while official diplomacy builds relations between states, public diplomacy builds trust between people, societies, cultures and generations, creating the basis for long-term cooperation and mutual understanding.
An important stage in the development of the partnership was the signing in 2023 of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the World Peoples Assembly and the Chinese SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. The parties managed to form a stable dialogue and identify new areas of interaction in the field of public diplomacy, humanitarian cooperation, youth and cultural exchanges.
During her speech, Svetlana Smirnova also presented the concept of a "New World of Conscious Unity" and spoke about preparations for the Second World Public Assembly "New World: Values that Unite", which will take place on September 18 - 19, 2026 in Moscow. The speaker stressed that a sustainable future cannot be built solely on the basis of political agreements and economic interests — a system of values is needed that is understandable and close to people of different cultures, religions and civilizations. Such values include human dignity, justice and trust, respect for cultural diversity, responsibility for peace and the desire to cooperate for the sake of future generations.
Svetlana Smirnova invited representatives of the Chinese SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, as well as partners from the SCO member states, to participate in the Second World Public Assembly, which will take place on September 18 - 19, 2026 in Moscow. Concluding her speech, the speaker expressed confidence that combining the efforts of public diplomacy organizations would make a significant contribution to the formation of a more just, sustainable and humane world based on trust, mutual respect and cooperation of peoples.
Summing up the conference, Zuo Hongbo, Secretary General of the Chinese Committee for Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO, thanked the participants for a meaningful exchange of views and reaffirmed the importance of further developing humanitarian cooperation and public diplomacy in the space of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
More information is on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly and at media@world-assembly.org.