Putin supported the early entry of Belarus into the SCO
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Russia supports the speedy admission of Belarus to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit.
“Russia also stands for the speedy completion of the process of entry into the SCO of the Republic of Belarus. We are convinced that the membership of Belarus, which is a strategic partner and closest ally of Russia, will have a positive impact on the activities of the association,” he said (cit. by Interfax).
Putin also drew attention to the growing interest in the activities of the SCO from other countries. In this regard, it is necessary to carefully consider a large number of applications from third countries that want to work together with the SCO.
The head of state also welcomed Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and congratulated him on Tehran’s accession to the SCO. “In less than two years, the Iranian partners have completed all the necessary procedures, and now our common task is to help our colleagues to effectively integrate into the multifaceted work being carried out within the framework of the Shanghai Organization,” Putin added.
In July 2022 Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared about the “line” of countries that would like to join the SCO as full members and observers. Later he clarified that a number of Arab and Asian countries are showing interest, and Armenia and Azerbaijan have also expressed their desire. So far, Iran has had observer status in the SCO. Afghanistan, Mongolia and Belarus have the same status, which filed application for full member status in July 2022
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