It also will consider issues of strengthening stability and security in Central Asia and the expansion of SCO contacts with other multilateral organizations, Xinhua reported.

As the organization has developed and found its own position in regional and world affairs, the objective of the SCO now is to complement and coordinate, not to compete, especially in security and economic issues, analysts say.

Some experts believe the strongest aspect of the SCO is that it is a convenient place for dialogue on security in Central Asia, including Afghan factors such as drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime. Currently, the SCO has been invited to every major international event related to Afghanistan.

Irina Kobrinskaya, an expert at the Russian Global Economy and International Affairs Institute, told Xinhua on the eve of the summit that common interests inside the bloc include regional security, mainly in Afghanistan.

The aims of the member centuries’ foreign policies are different, but the threat to their security originates from a common source, he said.