"SOFT POWER IN THE SCO: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CULTURAL DIPLOMACY INTO A TOOL OF REGIONAL INFLUENCE AND VALUE-BASED COMPETITION"

Аннотация

This article explores the transformation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from a security-oriented bloc into a platform for cultural and humanitarian interaction. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of soft power strategies used by key member states such as China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The study examines cultural diplomacy initiatives implemented through international festivals, academic programs, media projects, and the activities of the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Tashkent. The paper highlights the competition of value systems within the organization, the lack of a coordinated humanitarian agenda, and the potential of the SCO as a structure of “humanitarian regionalism.” The conclusion underscores the need to institutionalize soft power as a stable vector of multipolar cooperation. Keywords: SCO, soft power, cultural diplomacy, Uzbekistan, humanitarian agenda, Eurasian integration, public diplomacy center, ideological competition, regionalism, multipolarity.