The Republic of Belarus has been officially accepted as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The decision was made during a summit held in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

This marks a historic moment for Belarus, which had previously been a dialogue partner in the SCO since 2010 and later became an observer state in 2015.

Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, emphasizing that Belarus had swiftly completed all necessary procedures to attain full membership within the SCO. With this move, Belarus joins the ranks of other SCO member states, including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The SCO, a regional organization fostering cooperation in security, economics, and cultural exchange, now welcomes Belarus as its tenth member, strengthening ties and collaboration across Eurasia. (ILKHA)