Belarus has become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The corresponding decision was signed during a meeting of the Council of Heads of the State SCO member state in Astana.
Thus, Belarus has become full, the tenth member of the SCO. India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have a similar status in the organization.
Earlier in an interview with Kazinform, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the SCO for Belarus is not just an international organization, but a strategic prospect.
“SCO for Belarus is not just an international organization. This is a strategic prospect. First of all, in trade, economic and investment interaction, the development of transport, logistics, information-communication and other infrastructure. In the new quality we will strive to link our initiatives with already There are some of these initiatives at the SCO meeting, which will be held in the Kazakhstan capital, ”Lukashenko said.
The basis of the SCO was laid down by the leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, who first gathered together in Shanghai, in 1996 to sign an agreement on ensuring stability on the border between Russia and China.
Initially, the organization was called. “Shanghai five”, but in 2001, after the entry of Uzbekistan, he was renamed the Shanghai organization of cooperation. In 2017, India and Pakistan joined the organization, and later Iran.
The countries of the SCO are Mongolia and Afghanistan, the dialog partners are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Armenia, Cambodia, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmas, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
SCO basic goals include strengthening mutual trust between member countries, developing cooperation in order to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, joint fighting terrorism, developing economic cooperation and expanding cultural interaction.
General Secretariat of the SCO is in Beijing, and the regional counter -terrorism structure acts in Tashkent.