The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an international organization with a regional focus. At its foundation, the military cooperation and the prevention of terrorism were the pillars of the organization. However, with the evolution of the organization, the mechanisms of cooperation in SCO changed and the member states, mostly China and Russia, developed an important diplomatic work for the recognition of the organization at the international level. The United Nations recognized the SCO as a security regional organization. SCO’s has the official status of guest for organizations such as the ASEAN and the Commonwealth to participate in their meetings. In the beginning, Europe saw the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a reaction either to the end of the Warsaw Pact or to NATO as a Western military organization. The result was that SCO is one of the less-studied organizations in the West. The diversification in membership, having India and Pakistan as member-states, and in activities with the non-chartered based bodies like the SCO Interbank Consortium, the SCO Business Council among others, turned SCO in one of the diplomatic arms of the two most important Shanghai Five (China, and Russia). For China, it became one of the diplomatic tools for the establishment of cooperation in the areas of transportation and of the joint business, in the way to Europe. The B&RI benefited from the involvement of China in SCO, being the most active member of the organization. Our main question is how does the SCO contribute for the B&RI and constitute a peaceful path to arrive in Europe?

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Shanghai Cooperation Organization,China,Belt and Road Initiative,Europe,Security and Trade

• Economics and Business - Social Sciences
• Political Science - Social Sciences
• Other Social Sciences - Social Sciences