In July this year, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State will hold a meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. According to TASS, during a recent visit to Belarus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the primary task of this summit is to admit Belarus as an official member. Additionally, Lavrov mentioned in his speech that the BRICS countries will pause admitting new members to “digest” the newly joined ones. On the 26th, RIA Novosti quoted experts as saying that the expansion of the SCO and the steady development of the BRICS countries will significantly enhance the strength of the “Global South” nations and play a crucial role in maintaining multilateralism and building a multipolar world order.
According to TASS on the 25th, on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belarus, Lavrov paid an official visit to Belarus from June 24 to 25. On that day, during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Lavrov stated that one important agenda item of the Astana summit is to formally admit Belarus as a member of the SCO. All agreements regarding Belarus’s accession to the SCO have been implemented, and Belarus will participate equally in the rest of the summit activities, just like other member states.
According to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency on the 25th, Lukashenko expressed gratitude to the Russian side for its work in facilitating Belarus’s accession to the SCO and its comprehensive participation in the organization. Belarus is eagerly looking forward to achieving this goal at the Astana summit. Officially joining this important international organization is of great significance to Belarus.
Belarus to Join SCO: Expanding Influence and Cooperation in Europe
In 2010, Belarus became a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and in 2015, it became an observer state. In July 2022, Belarus submitted its application to join the SCO. In September of the same year, the 22nd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State signed a document to initiate the process of admitting Belarus as a member state. In February of last year, President Alexander Lukashenko signed a presidential decree approving the draft memorandum on Belarus’s obligations to obtain SCO member state status.
On the 26th, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency analyzed that Belarus’s official membership in the SCO as a European country would expand the organization’s geographical coverage, enhance its overall development potential, and increase its influence. Belarus hopes to closely cooperate with SCO member states in economic and trade fields, among others, to jointly enhance the organization’s influence. TASS cited the view of CIS Institute expert Yevseyev, who believes that Belarus’s membership in the SCO will further strengthen the organization’s influence in Europe. Given its geographical and transportation factors, Belarus’s cooperation with other member states in economic and trade areas will benefit the overall level of mutually beneficial cooperation within the SCO.
BRICS Temporarily Halts New Memberships to Focus on Integration
Additionally, TASS reported on the 25th that Lavrov, during a meeting with Natalya Kochanova, Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, stated that the BRICS countries overwhelmingly decided to temporarily stop admitting new members “to ‘digest’ the newly joined members.” At the same time, BRICS is preparing to define the category of dialogue partner countries, which is a “step” before becoming a formal member state.
Last August, the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, announced its expansion. On January 1 of this year, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Iran, and Ethiopia became official BRICS members. According to TASS, Russian Presidential Assistant Ushakov said on the 25th that the number of countries wanting to join BRICS is increasing, with more than 30 countries having expressed their intent to apply.
RIA Novosti reported on the 25th that Leonid Slutsky, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, stated that BRICS currently focuses more on high-quality development and expanding membership based on continuously improving its cooperation mechanisms. The improvement of BRICS’s cooperation mechanism is conducive to better building new types of international relations. The Russian newspaper “Vzglyad” quoted expert Lukyanov from the Valdai International Discussion Club, who believes that BRICS cannot unconditionally open its doors to all countries, as this could turn it into a loose organization without a fixed mechanism and charter. Therefore, it might be necessary to establish clear principles and standards for joining, such as introducing the concepts of “candidate countries” and “observer countries.”
The Russian newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda” reported on the 25th that BRICS is undergoing a period of transformation and adjustment following its expansion, which may change the nature of this emerging international cooperation mechanism. In this context, BRICS should focus more on building internal mechanisms and standards. This will help BRICS strengthen internal cohesion while better establishing its positioning, achieving smooth expansion, and steadily enhancing its global influence.
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Outstanding!