"We are glad to welcome the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, H.E. Nurlan Yermekbayev, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan today," the Uzbek Foreign Minister wrote on his telegram channel. - Since its establishment, the SCO has become an important platform for practical and pragmatic cooperation. They discussed issues of deepening cooperation within the SCO, strengthening regional security, as well as developing economic and cultural ties between the member states. Uzbekistan is committed to strengthening multilateral cooperation and contributing to the overall prosperity of the region."

Recall that on January 1, 2025, Nurlan Yermekbayev assumed the duties of the SCO Secretary General. He replaced Zhang Ming, who headed the SCO secretariat in 2022-2024.

The new SCO Secretary General is 62 years old, previously he held responsible positions in Kazakhstan - Assistant to the President, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense. He holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He speaks Kazakh, Russian, English, and Chinese.