SAMARKAND, September 16. /TASS/. Member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization think it important to keep outer space free from any weapons and adopt an international document to prevent an arms race in outer space, according to the Samarkand Declaration adopted by the SCO leaders on Friday.

"Member states stand for preserving outer space free from weapons of any kind and state the major importance of unfailing implementation of the existing legal framework envisaging only peaceful use of outer space," the document says.

The leaders stressed the "necessity of signing an international legally binding document to ensure transparency and provide reliable guarantees of preventing an arms race and non-deployment of weapons in outer space firest."