(VOVWORLD) - The Republic of Belarus was officially accepted as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at a summit in Kazakh capital of Astana.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a short period of time, Belarus completed all the necessary procedures on the way to full membership in the SCO.
He said he believes Belarus will contribute significantly to strengthening the SCO security.
Since 2010, Belarus has participated in SCO as a dialogue partner and as an observer since 2015.
SCO was established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China, with 5 initial members - Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.