SCO REGIONAL MILITARY EXERCISES: IMPACT ON THE BALANCE OF POWER AND REGIONAL STABILITY (BASED ON THE EXAMPLES OF «PEACE MISSION», «ANTITERROR»)

The article analyzes regional military exercises of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in particular, the Peace Mission and Anti-Terror maneuvers, with an emphasis on their impact on the balance of power and stability in Eurasia. In the context of global transformations and the growing role of regional associations, the SCO acts as a key platform for multilateral military cooperation. The Peace Mission and Anti-Terror exercises, held under the auspices of the Organization, are aimed at practicing joint actions of member states in countering terrorism, extremism and separatism, which contributes to increasing operational compatibility and building up anti-terrorist potential. However, in addition to the stated goals, holding large-scale maneuvers has a significant impact on the regional balance of power, giving rise to discussions about their legitimacy and true motives. The article examines how the SCO exercises contribute to strengthening or, on the contrary, complicate the situation in Eurasia, and identifies the factors that determine their perception by various actors. Particular attention is paid to the Kazakh perspective, analysis of the impact of internal contradictions, as well as the role of transparency and communication in forming a positive image of the exercises.