Kazakh media reports said today that the 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), chaired by Kazakhstan, has commenced at the Palace of Independence in Astana. 

The Astana Times reports that titled “Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue – Striving Towards a Sustainable Peace and Prosperity,” the summit will see the adoption of the Astana Declaration, 20 resolutions, and three statements from the Heads of State, including the Initiative On World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony, and On SCO Improvement.

A historic milestone for this summit is the finalization of procedures for admitting Belarus as a full member of the organization, granting it the status of an SCO Member State.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has reportedly already hosted President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the President of China Xi Jinping, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also met with Tokayev after visiting UN Plaza in Almaty on July 3.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, acting President of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Mongolia’s President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are also attending the summit.

China will assume the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization following Kazakhstan

The SCO currently has nine full members -- China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Belarus (September 16, 2022) is acceding member.  It is expected to become full member of the Organization at today’s meeting.

Besides, Belarus and Mongolia are observer states.

SCO’s dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye and United Arab Emirates.

ACEAN, CIS, Turkmenistan and the United Nations are guest attendances.

Inactive: Afghanistan.