Ufa to host SCO summit in 2028 as Bashkortostan begins preparations

Preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in Ufa in 2028 have begun at federal and regional levels, although the exact date has not yet been announced. Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to hold the meeting in Ufa and created a special federal organising committee by decree. Bashkortostan head Radiy Khabirov was appointed deputy chairman of the committee.

Khabirov called the event a major world-level occasion and said the republic would aim to hold the summit at a high standard, describing hosting it as both an honour and a responsibility. Regional authorities are discussing the organisational structure, venues, cultural programme and urban preparations. Preliminary plans include repairing 29 streets in Ufa. Rustam Sharipov, acting head of the Ufa city administration, said a list of objects to be improved is being prepared.

Ufa hosted the SCO and BRICS summits simultaneously in July 2015. At the SCO summit on 9-10 July, leaders adopted the Ufa Declaration and began the accession procedure for India and Pakistan. The city also gained hotel and tourism infrastructure and the status of a major congress centre from that experience.