ASTANA — Nurlan Yermekbayev has been appointed Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for the period of 2025-2027. His appointment was announced at the SCO Summit in Astana, July 4. He previously served as SCO Deputy Secretary General, a position he was appointed to in 2023.
Nurlan Yermekbayev. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
Born on Jan 1, 1963, in the South Kazakhstan region, Yermekbayev graduated with honors from the Oriental Faculty of the Military Red Banner Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in 1986, specializing in Officer with proficiency in Chinese and English. He continued his education at the Kazakh Academy of Architecture and Construction, earning a degree in Economic Engineering in 1996.
Yermekbayev’s career has been distinguished by various diplomatic and administrative roles, including positions in Angola, China, Austria and Singapore. He served as Kazakh Minister of Religious Affairs and Civil Society before assuming leadership roles in the Ministry of Defense.
As Minister of Defense, Yermekbayev oversaw pivotal military operations, including Kazakhstan’s first deployment of peacekeeping soldiers and military medics to Lebanon in 2018 and 2019.
