MINSK, July 4. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expects his country to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the near future.

"I am sure that with the support of all member states, Belarus will join the SCO as a full-fledged member in the near future," he noted, addressing an online meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on Tuesday.

A memorandum of Belarus’ obligations is expected to be signed at the meeting, which will launch a membership procedure for the country.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by six states: Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India joined the club in 2017. Iran became an SCO member at the Tuesday meeting. Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia currently hold observer status, while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners.