TIANJIN, 1 September (BelTA) - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The international forum is taking place at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center, BelTA has learned.
On the eve of the summit, Lukashenko held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended a formal reception honoring the heads of delegations participating in the meeting.
More than thirty leaders from various countries and heads of international organizations are taking part in the forum. Some of them have been invited by the Chinese authorities to join the summit in a “SCO Plus” format. The current summit is the largest in the history of the organization.
Taking advantage of the occasion, Aleksandr Lukashenko has already held over a dozen informal meetings with foreign leaders on the sidelines of the international forum.
Belarus became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization just over a year ago, and this summit is the first it is attending in its new status. The SCO now comprises ten member states: Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
As previously reported by the press service of the Belarusian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko is expected to present Belarus’ proposals for the further development of multifaceted cooperation within the “Shanghai family” during his speech at the meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council. He will also outline key issues requiring enhanced attention.
Among the most significant documents to be adopted by the heads of state are the Tianjin Declaration and the approval of the SCO Development Strategy for the next decade, extending until 2035. Furthermore, the agenda includes discussions on a range of other issues in the areas of security, economic, and humanitarian cooperation, with plans to adopt corresponding decisions, joint statements, and sign intergovernmental agreements.
Plans are in place to sign two intergovernmental agreements: one on the establishment of the SCO Anti-Drug Centre and another on the SCO Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats to the Security of Member States.
The president of Belarus will also participate in the summit in the “SCO Plus” format. The theme of this meeting is Upholding Multilateralism, Ensuring Regional Security, and Promoting Sustainable Development.
In an interview with China Media Group published on the eve of the visit, Aleksandr Lukashenko shared his assessment of Belarus' membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: “It is very important for us to be in this family. It inspires any nation, including the Belarusian one, that their president is part of this solid family.”
He also emphasized that the SCO's members are states that now largely determine the development of the planet. The organization features a core of powerful states, namely Russia, China, and India, which are surrounded by a group of other developed and advanced countries.
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