On Thursday, Russia’s close ally Belarus officially became the tenth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional group led by Beijing and Moscow.
“The Republic of Belarus has joined as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,” announced the summit organizers on social media.
During the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the strengthening relations between Beijing and Moscow, describing the SCO as a significant pillar of a multipolar world order aimed at countering US influence in international affairs.
In addition to Russia and China, the SCO includes four Central Asian states, India, Iran, and Pakistan as members.
