MINSK, July 15. /TASS/. Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States discussed the prospects for the organization’s development at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry's press service announced.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov took part in the meeting. "During the event, the participants exchanged views on the current state and future direction of the SCO development, including in the context of the upcoming SCO summit at the level of heads of state in September 2025 in Tianjin," the statement said.

According to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese president outlined the priorities of the Chinese chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and also assessed the current international situation.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. Initially, it united six states: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined the group in 2017, and Iran became a member in 2023. A decision to grant membership to Belarus was made at the SCO summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana last year. This year, China holds the SCO presidency.

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