ASTANA, July 4. /TASS/. Outer space should remain free of weapons and an international binding document needs to be adopted on the matter, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said in a declaration adopted at a summit in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana.

SCO members called for keeping space free of any weapons and ensuring the exclusively peaceful use of space.

The declaration highlighted the need to adopt an international binding document ensuring transparency and providing reliable guarantees for the prevention of an arms race in space.

The issue of space militarization has been particularly acute in recent years. The US claimed earlier that Russia planned to develop anti-satellite weapons and used the allegation as an excuse to start the development of orbital combat systems, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.

Moscow rejects the deployment of weapons to space. The country remains committed to its international obligations in this field, Russian diplomats emphasized.