NEW DELHI, July 4. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries call for signing an international legally binding document on the non-deployment of any weapons in outer space, according to the joint declaration signed after the India-chaired virtual summit of the organization on Tuesday.

"The Member States advocate keeping outer space free of weapons of any kind and state the importance of strict observance of existing legal regime, which provides for solely peaceful use of outer space. They emphasize the need to conclude an international legally binding document that would enhance transparency and provide reliable guarantees to prevent an arms race and not be the first to deploy weapons in outer space," it reads.

The SCO countries also stressed the importance of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, or the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) as a "pillar of the global security architecture." "They emphasize the need for strict adherence to the BTWC, in particular, through adoption of a Protocol to the Convention which provides for an effective verification mechanism. They oppose creating any mechanisms duplicating the BTWC functions, including those that fall within the mandate of the UN Security Council," it says.

The SCO countries also call for observing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC) as an efficient instrument of disarmament and nonproliferation. The declaration calls for the soonest destruction of all declared chemical weapons arsenals. "The Member States reaffirm their support for Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and advocate for concerted decisions to bridge divisions within the Organization, ensure its integrity and operate effectively under the Convention," the document says.

The summit was attended by all the SCO leaders. Apart from that, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia were invited as observers. Turkmenistan took part as a guest. The summit was also attended by the heads of the SCO Secretariat and its Regional Anti-terrorist Structure. Heads of six international and regional organizations, namely the United Nations, ASEAN, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), were invited.