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In 1996, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the "Shanghai 5" Association, transformed in June 2001 into a regional structure of multilateral cooperation–the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The SCO, composed of three big energy producing and exporting countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan) and of three energy consuming and importing countries (China, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan), set up its Energy Club in 2007. In this context, these countries with both convergent and conflicting interests had to elaborate complex strategies. However, the club is only a forum for discussion and only plays a minute role in a still very hypothetical process of integration.