UFA, July 10. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) may establish a Humanitarian Council to promote cooperation in the sphere, the Organization’s Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev said on Friday.

"We have suggested organizing a new platform, which may be called a Humanitarian Council," he said. "At the Council culture professionals, scientists, historians and tourism experts could promote information about the nations, united in the Organization."

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The SCO creation was proclaimed on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

At present five countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, and Pakistan) have observer-nation status, and three more countries (Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka), dialogue partner status.

The SCO member states occupy a territory of around 30 million 189 thousand square kilometers, which makes up three-fifths of the Eurasian continent, and have a population of 1.5 billion, which makes up a quarter of the planet's population.

India and Pakistan officially applied for full SCO membership in September 2014. Iran also seeks full membership in the organization.

The SCO has established relations with the United Nations, where it is an observer at the General Assembly, with the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.