ASTANA, July 4, 2024 (BSS/TASS) - On the second day of his visit to Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the opening of the summit will deviate from the standard scheme. At first, results of Belarus' effort to join the organization will be assessed, and the country is expected to be formally granted full-fledged membership.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is expected to participate in the meeting from the very start.

Minsk filed a bid to join the SCO in 2022, but started to participate in the organization's work as early as in 2009.

Agenda of the meeting

Participants of the event will recap the organization's work in 2023-2024. They will also consider further strengthening of the organization, and promotion of cooperation in the areas of politics, security, economy and humanitarian ties. Besides, the heads of state will exchange views on pressing issues on the international and regional agenda.

During the Council meeting, reports will be heard from the heads of the SCO standing bodies: the organization's secretary general, Zhang Ming, and the director of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ruslan Mirzayev.

Twenty-four documents are to be adopted at the SCO summit.

The central final document will be the declaration of the SCO Council of Heads of State. The document will reflect the consolidated approaches of the participating countries on current regional and international problems.

The heads of state are also expected to adopt a Statement on the Principles of Good Neighborliness, Trust and Partnership.

The leaders will also sign a decision on the approval of the initiative "On World Unity for a Just Peace and Harmony," which is designed to "confirm the commitment to the formation of the most representative, democratic, fair, multipolar world order with the central coordinating role of the UN."

SCO Plus format

The first meeting of the SCO Plus format on the sidelines of the SCO summit will also be held on July 4 in Astana. The topic of the meeting is "Strengthening multilateral dialogue - the pursuit of sustainable peace and development."

Among those who were invited to the first meeting in the SCO plus format are President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, President of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan, the ruler of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, a member of the Supreme Council of the Emirates Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the leaders of several international organizations were also invited, including CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev and Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov.

Bilateral meetings

The Russian president's schedule has bilateral meetings as well, including with acting Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber.

Other contacts are not ruled out as well. No full-format bilateral talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are planned, but the leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the event.

Besides, Putin may talk to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. No separate bilateral meeting has been planned, but, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin and Guterres may have a brief conversation.

First day

On Wednesday, the first day of the summit, Putin held a series of bilateral talks, including with Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Xi Jinping of China and Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh of Mongolia, as well as with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

About the organization

The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. Initially the organization included Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in 2017 they were joined by India and Pakistan. Tehran applied to join in 2008 and became a full-fledged member of the organization in July 2023. Belarus is expected to join the group soon.