The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has entered its second and final day. SCO leaders will take part in a group photograph on Friday, and then hold a meeting at which not all members will be present. There will be a meeting for all members later and they will also sign the Samarkand Declaration, which confirms the positions of the participating countries on the most important regional and global issues.
The SCO, which was founded in 2001, is a successor of the Shanghai Five group - founded in 1996 - and now has nine members: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Iran, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are observer states; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt Nepal, Qatar, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners. Iran applied to be a full member at the SCO summit in Dushanbe in September 2021, and the bid by Saudi Arabia - launched at the same summit - is still pending. This year, Belarus officially applied to join the SCO as a full member.
Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are observer states; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt Nepal, Qatar, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners. Iran applied to be a full member at the SCO summit in Dushanbe in September 2021, and the bid by Saudi Arabia - launched at the same summit - is still pending. This year, Belarus officially applied to join the SCO as a full member.
