Book review «The Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Exploring New Horizons / edited by Marochkin S., Bezborodov Y. London: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2022. – 262 p.»

Abstract

The creation and development of regional and interregional associations (organizations, unions, and groups) has become a general trend in international relations. Regional cooperation creates conditions and mechanisms for global interaction. There is a significant increase in the number of regional interstate associations, and now almost every state is included in at least one regional association. This trend has not bypassed the Eurasian space, where, after the termination of the existence of the USSR and the independence of the new states that were previously part of the USSR, associations of regional and interregional cooperation (CIS, CSTO, EAEU, etc.) began to form. Regional trends led to the creation of the SCO, as expected. The organization was created to ensure regional security and stability, and has become the largest regional organization in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population. In this regard, the publication of a collective monograph is an important contribution to the study of the Organization's activities, the directions and spheres of cooperation of the SCO member states, as well as the conceptual issues that the SCO faces.

Key words: Shanghai Cooperation Organization, humanitarian cooperation, mutual trade, human rights, security, fight against terrorism and extremism, regional cooperation