Divergent strategies in global leadership –

NATO and SCO are known to be the two largest international organizations representing important geopolitical alignments in today's global landscape.

Earlier this month, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization held their annual summits. SCO members met in Astana on July 3.^rd-4^thNATO countries met in Washington a week later from 9^th at 11^thBoth organizations have undergone a process of expansion; this year, the SCO welcomed Belarus as its 10th member.^th member, while in March 2024 Sweden joined the Atlantic Organization.

This year, the SCO was chaired by Kazakhstan. The meeting was attended not only by member states, but also by the delegation of Mongolia (an observer state of the Organization), the UN Secretary-General and delegations of 14 dialogue partners. speech At the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed the economic importance of the SCO, whose members account for a quarter of the world's GDP and own the region richest in natural resources. In this regard, President Xi Jinping said that preserving security in the region is the first and most important goal of the organization.

Although the SCO has been referred to many times as the NATO of the East, it is worth noting that the two organizations have completely different reasons for being. NATO was founded in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II with the aim of ensuring freedom and security among member states. It is a political and military alliance dedicated to the peaceful resolution of conflicts, but when diplomatic efforts fail, the organization has the power to undertake military operations. The organization has its roots in respect for Western values ​​and democracy.Member states are allowed to intervene and discuss the internal affairs of other member countries in order to avoid conflicts. This highlights a key difference between NATO and the SCO. The SCO, a permanent intergovernmental international economic organization, operates according to the Shanghai Spirit with non-interference as its fundamental principle. Member states maintain non-alignment, openness, equality, consensus decision-making and respect for sovereignty. The principle of non-interference is highlighted in joint security operations and economic initiatives, ensuring that each country maintains its decision-making autonomy.

The distinctive features of the two organizations can be seen in their draft declarations, which were published after the respective summits. As a military alliance, NATO focused on the war in Ukraine and the management of that conflict. It referred to Russia as the most significant and direct threat to Allied security NATO countries have condemned Russia and Kremlin-supporting states such as China, Iran, and North Korea. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has been called upon to cooperate with Western countries to prevent the war from spreading to Europe. However, not only would this be contrary to the SCO’s principle of non-interference, but it is also unlikely that China would want to intervene given the potential escalation of the situation in Taiwan. In the future, Beijing may need Russia’s support in the Security Council, just as it did for Russia.

While NATO’s inevitable support for Ukraine should not come as a surprise to the international community, which has been watching aid sent to Kiev and sanctions imposed on Moscow for three years, the issue of double standards remains. The countries of the South are indeed observing the different approach that the Western community maintains towards the war in Ukraine and Gaza. Recently, some European leaders seem to have understood how their reputations can be affected by the different approaches to the two wars. At the summit, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: “We do not have double standards. If we tell our people that we support Ukraine because we defend international law, that is the same as what we have to do in Gaza.” However, this desire to reiterate that the West does not apply double standards contradicts the content of the NATO statement, which never mentioned the situation in Gaza or the highly questionable behavior of the Israeli government.

As for the Astana Summit, many other topics were discussed between the member states and other delegations, such as the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the development of the Afghan state. In this regard, even though the Taliban delegation was not invited to participate in the Summit due to the non-recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate government by the international community, the SCO members reiterated their serious concern about the developments in the country. The peaceful development of the country concerns not only the Afghan people but the entire Central Asian region. As already mentioned, for China, ensuring the peaceful development of the region is essential for the success of the Belt and Road Initiative project and other economic interests of the state.

The absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attributed to the ongoing parliamentary session in India, did not go unnoticed. Some analysts said it reflected India’s desire to distance itself from the organization, given its strained relations with China. Indeed, since the two countries’ clash in the Ladakh region in 2020, relations between Modi and Xi Jinping have deteriorated significantly. The Indian prime minister skipped the BRI summit in 2023 for the third time and is expected to do the same at the next summit in Hong Kong in September 2024. The Chinese president last visited New Delhi in 2019 while Modi last visited Beijing in 2018.

It is worth noting, however, that Modi travelled to Russia just days after the SCO summit ended to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders met at Novo-Ogaryovo, Putin’s private residence, where they had a private dinner to informally discuss the same issues that would be taken up the next day before their respective delegations. Among the issues discussed was the release of Indian citizens sent to Ukraine. fight alongside the Russians and increasing trade relations between Moscow and New Delhi. Regarding the SCO, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that the organization has been gaining importance since the world is moving inexorably towards a true multipolarityThe concept of multilateralism is spreading more and more outside the Western countries, and President Putin has affirmed this in his speech that the SCO countries firmly believe that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and The BRICS The countries of the South are the main pillars of this new world order () and the more the SCO strengthens its authority and influence, the more it attracts the attention of other states and international structures. With these words, the Russian President clearly referred to the countries of the Global South, which are increasingly considering a new multipolar order. These countries are becoming extremely important on the international stage, and the Indian delegation itself reiterated its readiness to partner with them to strengthen their capacities. This underlines the importance of India in international cooperation. The country's commitment to fostering development and cooperation between regions such as Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia and Oceania.

Finally, Modi was not the only leader who decided to visit Vladimir Putin. A few days later, during the NATO summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban flew to Moscow. Orban's tour of Moscow, Beijing and Florida, during Hungary's six-month presidency of the European Parliament, raised several doubts about the unity of the European Union and the position of individual states.

These two statements show that while NATO is focused on Ukraine, the SCO is working on several fronts. During the summit, the participating states signed 25 documents. covering energy, security, trade, finance and information securityDespite potential debates among countries within the Organization, they are determined to improve and develop their economic relations and create a valid alternative to US unilateralism. In this regard, China's chairmanship of the SCO means strengthening cooperation in all areas. Moreover, China's chairmanship of the SCO coincides with the final months of Russia's BRICS chairmanship, so the two countries could encourage collaboration among SCO members, creating alternatives to Western initiatives. In fact, China has invited countries to participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station, a collaborative project led by Beijing and Moscow aimed at establishing a long-term research base on the Moon.

Finally, another question will concern the United States and the evolution of relations between the SCO leaders, China and Russia, depending on the new American president. Is it very likely that Trump's election will change relations between Washington and Moscow to the detriment of Kiev? Moreover, if Vice President Kamala Harris or another Democratic leader wins the elections, NATO support for Ukraine is likely to continue.