The tenth annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 15 was a milestone in the history of the institution. The organization comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has gained a reputation as a possible strategic rival to American and Western interests throughout Central Asia. Nicola P. Contessi, Ph.D Candidate in Political Science at Laval University, forecasts current signs suggest that SCO membership may increase and the organization could become a more prominent regional geopolitical actor.

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