On September 15–16, 2022, the attention of politicians and the media was riveted at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand. During the times when serious political and economic transformations are happening across the Eurasian continent, the first in-person gathering of the heads of states after the pandemic is undoubtedly an important event in the region. The number of high-level guests, the signed documents, and meetings on the sidelines of the event attest to the importance of the summit.