Published on: 2026-08-31
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 31, 2026 Peace and Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is visiting Kyrgyzstan: he is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which is taking place in Bishkek on August 31 and September 1. The opening of the meeting coincided with Kyrgyzstan’s Independence Day.
“I am very glad to have arrived in Kyrgyzstan at this historic moment – on Independence Day,” said the Secretary-General.
“Today Kyrgyzstan plays a very important role in the activities of the United Nations and in the life of the international community,” he added.
Guterres reminded that Kyrgyzstan was elected to the UN Security Council for the first time – for 2027–2028. Thus, the country will be at the center of international efforts to ensure peace, security, and development. “This corresponds to the impressive economic growth currently being observed in the country,” the Secretary-General noted.
Kyrgyzstan became the second country from Central Asia to be elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member. In 2017-2018, Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian state to join the Council.
Bilateral meetings in Bishkek
In Bishkek, Guterres held a series of bilateral meetings, including with the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov. They discussed the situation in the region, cooperation between the UN and the Kyrgyz Republic, including in the areas of climate change, environmental protection, and socio-economic development, as well as issues of peace and security – in connection with Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming membership in the Security Council.
The UN Secretary-General also met with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and noted Uzbekistan’s diplomatic initiatives contributing to peace and stability in Central Asia.
During the meeting with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the Secretary-General thanked him for his consistent support of the global agenda on water resources and glaciers. Guterres and Rahmon discussed events in the region, including the situation in Afghanistan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is the world’s largest regional organization in terms of territory and population (3.5 billion people). It was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and later India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus joined it.
World Nomad Games
On Monday, the head of the UN also attended the opening ceremony of the VI World Nomad Games. This week, Kyrgyzstan will be the venue where more than a hundred countries will showcase their traditional sports, as well as crafts and music.
The Games are the largest international competitions in ethnic sports. Spectators, in particular, can look forward to horse racing, horse competitions, wrestling, and archery.
In 2021, the World Nomad Games were officially included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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