Belarus officially becomes SCO member
Kazakh President Tokayev announced Belarus’s decision to formally join the SCO. Belarus became the 10th official member of the SCO.
By IAR Desk
the SCO Astana Summit began with the signing of documents to accept Belarus into the organization.
Tokayev said: “Dear heads of state, the decision on the formal membership of the Republic of Belarus in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been made.”
He then congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Astana on July 4 under the chairmanship of Kazakh President Tokayev, with the theme of “Strengthening multilateral dialogue and seeking sustainable peace and development.”
In July 2023, Belarus signed the Memorandum of Obligations at the SCO Summit held in New Delhi.
The SCO is an international organization established in 2001. The current member states include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and India. The SCO observer states are Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia, and the partner states are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
After the Astana Summit, China will take over the rotating presidency of the SCO from 2024 to 2025. This is the first time in seven years that China has assumed the presidency again.
