Belarus Officially Becomes Member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

On July 4, at the meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States in Astana, the decision on the membership of the Republic of Belarus in the SCO was signed.

Belarus and other CSTO Member States consider the SCO as an international platform for elaborating specific mechanisms for developing cooperation in countering terrorism, extremism, organized crime and drug trafficking.

The Republic of Belarus has participated in the SCO since 2010 as a dialog partner and since 2015 as an observer. On September 16, 2022, at the SCO summit in Samarkand, the participants signed a Decision to start the membership procedure.

As part of the SCO admission process, Belarus joined more than 40 treaties. KGB of Belarus signed a cooperation protocol with the SCO Member States' Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.

The CSTO and the SCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2007, on the basis of which the parties maintain regular contacts and carry out joint work.