Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on Thursday that Belarus has been formally admitted as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the summit in Astana.
 
"Dear heads of state, the decision on the full membership of the Republic of Belarus in the SCO has been made," Tokayev said and congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the occasion.

Tokayev noted that Belarus has swiftly fulfilled all requirements for full participation in the SCO.

Established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to combat terrorism and bolster border security, the SCO has grown in recent years. This expansion is in line with Beijing and Moscow's mutual objective of countering perceived US hegemony and reconfiguring the international system to their benefit.
 
Elsewhere in his remarks, Tokayev remarked that the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have transformed it into one of the most influential and respected global entities.

"Through joint efforts, strengthening the Shanghai spirit and promoting the Shanghai principles, we have turned the SCO into one of the most influential and authoritative international structures. Due to the uniqueness and huge potential of our association, interest in it in the world is steadily growing," Tokayev stressed.

On his part, commenting on the admission of Belarus to the SCO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed Moscow's interest in the Union State members participating in all international processes.

"This is part of the Union State, and we are interested in the Union State participating in all international processes with a united front," Lavrov told Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin.

SCO agenda includes organization expansion, Syria, says Kremlin

Ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured on Wednesday that the issue of expanding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be addressed during the summit in Kazakhstan.

"The number of those wishing to join the SCO is quite large, this topic will also be discussed at the summit tomorrow, the expansion process," the Russian spokesperson told reporters.

He stated that Belarus' accession to the SCO aligns with Minsk's interests, saying, "We welcome Belarus' accession to the SCO, it is our very important ally, and joining the SCO is in the interests of Belarus. And of course, it will be a great acquisition for the SCO." 

The SCO leaders convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a two-day summit that began on Wednesday. The summit brought together SCO members, observers, and dialogue partners to discuss economic, political, and security cooperation, as well as strategies to enhance the organization.

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