The full text of the foreign minister's address is as follows:

His Excellency Jeenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic;

Honorable Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization;

Mr. Secretary-General;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the government and the friendly people of the Kyrgyz Republic, particularly His Excellency Jeenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for their gracious hospitality and the excellent arrangements made for this important meeting.

I am confident that this gathering, held on the eve of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, provides a valuable opportunity to deepen transregional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and chart new horizons for collaboration among the member states.

Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization stands at a pivotal moment in the evolution of the international order. The world is facing unprecedented challenges, including the unchecked expansion of unilateralism, the erosion of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, the unlawful use of force, the imposition of unilateral and excessive sanctions, and the instrumentalization of economic and financial mechanisms to exert political pressure.

Under these circumstances, the responsibility of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as one of the world's most important transregional organizations encompassing a significant share of the global population, economy, energy resources, and strategic capacities, has become more critical than ever. The Organization can and should serve as a strong voice in defense of multilateralism, respect for national sovereignty, the sovereign equality of states, and the rule of law in international relations.

Distinguished Colleagues,

In recent months, the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again been subjected to overt military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime. Following the attacks of June 2025, the world again witnessed repeated military aggression against Iran between February and April 2026, acts that targeted not only the security of our nation but also the credibility of the entire international legal order.

On February 28, 2026, the Iranian nation experienced one of the darkest and most painful days in its history. On that day, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the highest political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was martyred alongside members of his family while present at his office.

At the same time, a school in the city of Minab came under attack, where 168 students, school staff, and their family members were massacred in a criminal act. These atrocities did not end there. On the same day, a sports stadium in Lamerd, Fars Province, was attacked. Based on forensic evidence and the remnants of the munitions used, the attack involved weapons whose use is incompatible with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and which, for the first time, were employed against civilians, particularly young women engaged in sporting activities. Young women who dreamed of winning championships and representing their country in national and international competitions were brutally slaughtered.

When attacks on educational and medical institutions, vital infrastructure, economic facilities, and even peaceful nuclear installations under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency are met without an effective response from the international community, no country can be certain that it will not become the next victim of such conduct.

Even more alarming is the fact that these acts of aggression occurred while the Islamic Republic of Iran had chosen the path of diplomacy and dialogue, with negotiations underway to resolve existing differences. Diplomacy was answered not through negotiations, but through military attack. Such conduct undermines confidence in diplomacy, calls into question the credibility of peaceful mechanisms for resolving disputes, and sends a dangerous message for the future of international relations.

Perhaps the most painful development following these crimes has been the effort to normalize them. Contemporary experience has shown that when crimes are met with silence, ambiguity, or indifference by the international community, they are not only allowed to continue but also become a model for repetition. Responsibility for such crimes rests not only with their direct perpetrators. Any political, military, or intelligence support provided to the aggressors, as well as silence or equivocal positions in the face of such blatant violations of international law, serves only to undermine the rule of law and encourage the perpetrators to repeat their unlawful conduct.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What the Islamic Republic of Iran has faced is not merely a threat to the national security of one country; it is a challenge to the fundamental principles upon which the international legal order is founded. Defending those principles is therefore not simply a defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is a defense of collective security, regional stability, and the credibility of international law. If the prohibition on the use of force is weakened and military aggression becomes normalized in international relations, no country, regardless of its size, power, or geographic location, will be immune from its consequences.

Pursuant to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the Islamic Republic of Iran exercised its inherent right of legitimate self-defense and defended its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law. At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again demonstrated that it has never initiated, and will never initiate, a war. Our principled policy has always been based on dialogue, diplomacy, good neighborliness, and regional cooperation. We continue to believe that lasting peace can only be achieved when aggression, occupation, threats, and double standards give way to mutual respect, the impartial application of international law, and genuine adherence to international commitments. Peace must be built, preserved, and sustained.

Your Excellencies,

Although only a few weeks have passed since the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum to end the war, the United States has once again demonstrated that it does not honor its commitments. Its blatant violation of the memorandum's provisions—including attacks on transportation infrastructure, drinking water facilities, fishing boats, local commercial vessels, meteorological centers, and other civilian infrastructure—constitutes a clear breach of international law and international humanitarian law, and is yet another example of its continued reliance on the use of force and disregard for its international obligations.

At the same time, the US' direct intervention in implementing security and maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, along with the reimposition of a naval blockade, once again jeopardized the security of one of the world's most critical strategic waterways and disrupted the normal flow of international commercial shipping. The experience of recent months has clearly demonstrated that the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz cannot be ensured through the presence and intervention of extraregional forces, but rather through cooperation among regional countries, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering determination to defend the country's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. It further emphasizes that any participation, cooperation, or assistance in carrying out aggression against Iran will entail international responsibility for the parties concerned. In accordance with international law, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to take all necessary measures in the exercise of legitimate self-defense and will consider any source of aggression against the Iranian nation a legitimate target of the defensive measures undertaken by its armed forces.

Honorable Foreign Ministers,

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the continued aggression by the Israeli regime against Lebanon, its repeated violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the blatant violations of the Islamabad Memorandum by the United States and the Israeli regime. The continuation of these actions has exposed the security and stability of West Asia to serious risks.

At the same time, the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the continued occupation, the killing of civilians, the widespread destruction of vital infrastructure, and the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their most basic human rights remain among the gravest crises confronting the conscience of humanity and one of the most serious threats to regional and international peace and security. The impunity enjoyed by those responsible for these crimes has not only fueled further violence but has also seriously undermined the credibility of the international legal order and multilateral institutions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran once again stresses the urgent need to immediately halt all military actions against civilians, completely lift the blockade, guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access, firmly oppose any forced displacement of the Palestinian people, and support the Palestinian nation's right to self-determination. Lasting peace in the region cannot be achieved without ending the occupation and restoring the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

Your Excellencies,

Developments in Afghanistan remain among the most important shared security and development issues facing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Stability and security in Afghanistan are of strategic importance not only to its own people but to all countries in the region. Effectively combating terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and humanitarian challenges requires close, coordinated, and sustained cooperation among regional countries through multilateral mechanisms, particularly the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Given its deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties with the people of Afghanistan, and in keeping with the principles of respect for national sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and shared regional responsibility, the Islamic Republic of Iran supports every initiative that contributes to the emergence of a secure, stable, developed, and terrorism-free Afghanistan governed by an inclusive government. Iran also calls, in particular, for an end to tensions and conflict between Afghanistan and the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan.

Distinguished Colleagues,

Now is an appropriate time not only to recognize the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's valuable achievements over the past quarter century but also to look ahead to its future. Throughout these years, the Organization has demonstrated that regional cooperation founded on mutual trust, respect for shared interests, sovereign equality among member states, and the avoidance of confrontation can play an effective role in promoting lasting stability, shared development, and stronger ties among nations. The significance of the Organization extends beyond the geographic reach, population, and economic capacity of its members; it also lies in its ability to create innovative frameworks for cooperation among civilizations, economies, and regions across the world.

At a time when international economic and financial structures are increasingly shaped by political rivalry, unilateral restrictions, and the instrumentalization of economic interdependence, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can play an important role in strengthening independent economic cooperation, enhancing the resilience of supply chains, expanding regional trade, and facilitating economic connectivity among its members.

One of the Organization's foremost priorities during its second quarter century should be to evolve from predominantly political and security cooperation toward a comprehensive partnership centered on economic development, technology, and sustainable growth. The member states' vast capacities in energy, natural resources, consumer markets, human capital, technology, and geostrategic location present an exceptional opportunity to establish a durable, long-term framework for economic cooperation. The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that achieving this objective requires greater emphasis on expanding mutual trade, facilitating investment, strengthening banking and financial cooperation, utilizing independent monetary and financial mechanisms, and developing secure, sustainable, and efficient transportation and transit corridors.

With its unique geostrategic position, Iran serves as a vital link connecting Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and the open seas. It stands ready to place its extensive capabilities in transport corridors, energy security, regional trade, and economic cooperation at the service of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's member states.

The future of the Organization should be built upon a comprehensive and multidimensional approach in which security, economic development, energy, regional connectivity, technology, and people-to-people cooperation receive equal attention. Strengthening transit routes, expanding regional corridors, increasing joint investment, facilitating trade among member states, and harnessing their vast energy resources and natural wealth can transform the Shanghai Cooperation Organization into one of the principal drivers of growth and development in the twenty-first century.

On this path, we must strengthen our solidarity and cooperation to ensure that aggression does not replace diplomacy, force does not replace law, and double standards do not replace justice. A safer, more stable, and more just future can only be realized if we speak with one voice in defense of the rule of law, the sovereign equality of states, respect for the independence of nations, and the dignity of peoples. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization can, and must, stand at the forefront of this historic responsibility.

Thank you for your attention.