What Will Representatives of 24 Countries Discuss in Samarkand?

The first SCO Plus Expert Dialogue on Security Issues will take place in Samarkand on November 5–6, 2026. The event will be chaired by B. Kurbanov, Head of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Colonel General.

The main theme of the meeting is “Security in the Era of Digital Transformation: Combating Terrorism and Extremism in Light of the Development of New Technologies”.

The dialogue was initiated by Uzbekistan

The initiative to establish the SCO Plus Expert Dialogue on Security Issues was put forward by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The proposal was first announced at the 2024 SCO Summit in Astana.

In 2025, at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States held in Tianjin, it was proposed that the first expert dialogue be held in Samarkand.

Representatives of 24 countries and five international organizations expected

The upcoming dialogue will bring together heads and representatives of special services from SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partners.

Representatives of international organizations and invited guests are also expected to attend. According to the organizers, 33 delegations from 24 countries, as well as representatives of five international organizations, will travel to Samarkand.

New technologies in the fight against terrorism and extremism

The participants will discuss the impact of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence on contemporary threats and security risks.

At the conclusion of the meeting, delegation heads are expected to identify specific tasks and priority areas for cooperation in combating international terrorism and extremism in the era of digital transformation.