BEIJING, May 10. /TASS/. Zhang Ming, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), termed it a natural and legitimate process that a large number of countries are now seeking to join the alliance.

"I find the development and expansion of the SCO encouraging. This is evidence that the basic norms and values that the SCO has adhered to for more than 20 years are receiving increasingly wide recognition," Zhang said at a news conference following a meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in India.

"SCO expansion is a natural process rather than a result that we have been deliberately striving to achieve," he emphasized as he reiterated that the SCO was an open organization that is ready to welcome countries that share its values and principles as new members.

Zhang reminded reporters that the SCO currently has eight member states, specifically China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as four countries with observer state status: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia. Meanwhile, Belarus and Iran are currently in the process of joining the SCO as full-fledged members. In addition, the organization has 14 dialogue partners.

At the latest SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in India, Zhang signed a memorandum with authorized delegates from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Myanmar and the Maldives as a first step toward granting SCO dialogue partner status to these nations.