MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Russia supports the draft of the New Delhi declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that lays out the goals and objectives of further interaction among its member states, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the organization’s summit held via video conferencing on Tuesday.

"Russia supports the New Delhi draft declaration that lays out the goals and objectives of further global development of our interaction and reflects consolidated approaches to pressing international issues," the head of state said.

In his opening remarks, Putin thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for organizing the summit and praised the work of India’s presidency in the SCO.

"The implementation of a substantial package of documents and decisions prepared for this [SCO] Council of Heads of State will undoubtedly make a weighty contribution to strengthening strategic partnership within the SCO," the Russian president stressed.

New Delhi presides over the SCO this year. Iran is expected to become the organization’s new member at the ongoing summit.

The SCO was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. As of today, the organization comprises eight countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as the founding states and also India and Pakistan that joined the organization in 2017.