YEREVAN, July 3. /TASS/. Armenia has expressed its desire to become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Thursday.
"Sharing the fundamental principles of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, namely regarding territorial integrity, non-use of force and inviolability of borders, the Republic of Armenia expresses its desire to become a member of the SCO," the statement reads.
On June 27, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, during his official visit to China, met with SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported later in a statement that both sides discussed issues of cooperation with the SCO, expressing mutual satisfaction with the active dialogue that has been already underway and the results stipulated by the status of a partner country.
Mirzoyan pointed to Armenia's stance regarding the issue of expanding his country’s involvement within the organization’s framework.
Last summer, Mehrdad Kiaei, the national coordinator for the SCO affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced that Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Sri Lanka had submitted a request for obtaining the status of an observer nation within the organization. He noted at that time that the organization was ready to review and approve all of the submitted applications.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently unites ten member states: Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Two countries have the status of observers - Afghanistan and Mongolia, while 14 more have the status of dialogue partners - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka.