Belarus Joins SCO 10th member, PM Modi skips Summit Meeting in Astana

The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held on 4 July 2024 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the summit meeting.

The Eurasian country of Belarus was admitted as the 10th full member of the SCO. The Indian Prime Minister skipped the meeting, and India was represented by the External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar.

16 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping,   Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also participated in the meeting.

Terrorism in any form is not acceptable

The  External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, read the Prime Minister's address at the summit meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that terrorism in any form or its manifestation cannot be justified or condoned.  In a veiled reference to China and Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi said that priority must be given to combating terrorism, which is one of the original goals of the SCO. He said cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response, and terrorism financing and recruitment must be firmly countered. He stressed taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among youth.

Belarus admitted as the 10th Member of SCO 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established on June 15, 2001, by five countries: Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It was a regional organisation that replaced the China-led Shanghai Five Organisation.

The SCO was first expanded in 2017 when India and Pakistan joined the organisation.

It was further expanded in 2023, and Iran was admitted as its 9th Member. 

Belarus, which was earlier the Observer country at the SCO, was upgraded and made the 10th full member of the SCO in 2024.

Observer Status: Afghanistan and Mongolia 

25th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting

The 25th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting will be held in China as China has assumed the rotating Presidency of the SCO from Kazakhstan. 

The annual Presidency of the SCO rotates amongst the member states. 

The Chinese city of Qingdao has been appointed as the SCO’s tourism and cultural capital for 2024-2025. 

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation that was established in 2001. The group focuses on furthering regional security and cooperation among its member states.

However, recently, there has been concern that the SCO is being turned into an anti-Western alliance led by China and Russia.

Many analysts believe this is one of the reasons why  Narendra Modi skipped the Summit meeting in Astana.

The Council of Heads of States is the supreme decision-making body of the SCO, which meets once a year. 

Headquarters: Beijing, China 

Permanent Members of SCO (10 Countries): Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus.

Observer Members (2): Afghanistan and Mongolia