BEIJING, April 23. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will promote regional prosperity, SCO Secretary General, Nurlan Yermekbayev, told TASS.
According to Yermekbayev, 13 out of 26 countries of the SCO community are BFA founding states, which is the additional support for coordinating positions between the two associations. "The SCO secretariat is ready to increase cooperation with the BFA, using joint potential and new opportunities for dialogue in order to ultimately promote regional development and prosperity," the secretary general noted.
BFA, also called the "Eastern Davos," confirmed the commonality of interests, goals, and objectives last December. One of their main goals is "to strengthen economic exchanges and cooperation, and not only within the same region," Yermekbayev said. He also noted that strengthening the economic stability of the SCO member states is important in the context of improving the well-being of peoples, including ensuring an adequate level of social development to prevent radicalization of young people.
As the secretary general observed, the SCO is a truly Eurasian organization due to members such as Kazakhstan, which actively participates in the work of the BFA, which is why the organization has "serious capabilities, potential and resources."
In order to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas, the creation of new mechanisms is being discussed, including for financing project activities, increasing transport connectivity, and facilitating trade and investment opportunities.
Over the 24 years since the inaugural BFA meeting, the secretary general has been pleased to witness how the BFA has become a truly sought-after, influential international platform for discussing current issues in the field of economics, politics, and security, including issues of multilateral cooperation, addressing modern challenges and threats. Since 2002, the Boao Forum for Asia has been held on a regular basis on the east coast of Hainan and has 29 participating countries in Asia. The Chinese authorities closely monitor the development of the BFA and consider it an effective tool of soft diplomacy. In 2025, the large-scale conference, which took place on March 25-28, was attended by over 2,000 government officials, politicians, experts, and business representatives from more than 60 countries and regions.
The Chinese authorities pay close attention to the development of the BFA and consider it an effective tool of soft diplomacy. In 2025, the large-scale conference, which took place on March 25-28, was attended by over 2,000 government officials, politicians, experts, and business representatives from more than 60 countries and regions.