Overview

• The opening session featured greetings from Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin alongside SCO and CIS leaders, Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko, Rossotrudnichestvo head Evgeny Primakov, Union State official Sergey Glazyev, UN Alliance of Civilizations representative Miguel Ángel Moratinos, and cosmonaut Ivan Vagner.
• Lavrov said the gathering exemplifies the demand for public people’s diplomacy and noted broad representation from the Global South and East.
• A commemorative artistic postal envelope for the Assembly was officially canceled at a ceremony; 500,000 copies have entered postal circulation in Russia.
• Organizers outlined seven panel discussions and more than 40 thematic platforms, including media, youth and business forums and a writers’ congress, with over 200 journalists accredited.
• SCO Deputy Secretary-General Piao Yanfan said the platform elevates the voice of the global majority and urged mutual respect, rule of law and respect for sovereignty, while organizer Andrei Belyaninov invited registered guests to become full members of the host organization.