The key facts

  • The first 'SCO Plus' expert dialogue on security will be held in Samarkand on 5–6 November 2026, chaired by Bahodir Qurbonov.
  • 33 delegations from 24 countries and 5 international organizations are expected.
  • The format was initiated by Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2024 in Astana; Samarkand was confirmed as the venue in 2025 in Tianjin.

The new format gathers in Samarkand for the first time

On 5–6 November 2026, Samarkand will host the first meeting of the 'SCO Plus Security Dialogue'. The event will be chaired by the head of the State Security Service of Uzbekistan, Colonel General Bahodir Qurbonov, the SSS press service reported. The theme of the meeting is 'Security in the era of digital transformation: countering terrorism and extremism in light of the development of new technologies'. This was reported by Gazeta.uz and Zamon.uz.

Who is coming and what will be discussed

According to the organizers, 33 delegations from 24 countries are expected to arrive, including heads of special services of SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners, as well as representatives of 5 international organizations, experts and invited guests. The agenda includes an exchange of views on the impact of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence on modern threats and risks. Following the talks, the heads of delegations are expected to define concrete tasks and priority areas of cooperation in countering international terrorism and extremism.

From a 2024 initiative to the first meeting

The initiative to hold the 'SCO Plus Security Dialogue' annually was put forward by the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in 2024 at the 'SCO Plus' meeting in Astana. The decision to hold the first meeting in Samarkand was approved in 2025 at the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Tianjin. Thus, the Samarkand meeting is the first practical step in implementing the two-year-old initiative: until now, the format existed only as a proposal at the summit level.

Discrepancy in the format's name

It is worth noting a terminological discrepancy in the publications: Zamon.uz, in its note of 4 November, calls the event an 'expert dialogue' 'SCO Plus One', whereas its own publication of 3 November and the materials of Gazeta.uz use the name 'SCO Plus' without 'One'. This discrepancy does not affect the content of the meeting, but the official name of the format is presented inconsistently across the sources.