The SCO is committed to establishing a just world order with the central role of United Nations (UN), Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in virtual mode on Tuesday.
More and more geopolitical differences appear in the world, and the global security is deteriorating, Putin told the SCO summit.
"Our organization is firmly committed to building a truly just and multipolar world order. A world order based on international law, on the universally recognized principles of mutually respectful cooperation of sovereign states with the central coordinating role of the United Nations," Putin said.
The Russian leader also praised the Indian leadership for the work done under its presidency in the SCO.
Check out other key statements made by President Putin today:
The degradation of the international security system continues;
SCO is making contribution in preserving peace & stability, developing sustainable growth of SCO member states, strengthening ties between the peoples;
Russia supports the SCO’s draft joint declaration, which "reflects consolidated approaches to international issues;
Russia supports granting SCO membership to Belarus;
Hybrid warfare has been unleashed against Russia [in Ukraine];
Putin thanked SCO counterparts for supporting Russia in the wake of the June 24 events in the country;
More than 80% of commercial transactions between Russia and the People's Republic of China are already carried out in rubles and yuan;
Putin invited the SCO member states to the Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi.
Iran Now Officially Member of SCO
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who hosted the 23rd SCO summit, welcomed Iran's accession to the SCO and the signing by Belarus of a memorandum of intent to become a member of the SCO.
"I am pleased to say that Iran is joining the SCO family as a full member. I wish all the best to [Iranian] President [Ebrahim] Raisi and the people of Iran in this regard. I also welcome the signing of the memorandum of intent for Belarus to become a member of the SCO," Modi said in his address at the SCO summit in New Delhi.
Before the accession of Iran, the SCO comprised eight countries in total — India, Russia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The SCO was founded by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan in 2001. In 2017, India and Pakistan were admitted as members.