Lukashenko Signs Bill On Minsk Joining Int'l Treaties Within SCO Into Law - Gov't Portal

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2023) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed the bill on the republic's accession to the international treaties within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the documents on the national legal portal showed on Thursday.

The document was approved by the republic's lower and upper houses on June 30.

In particular, the law specifies that "the Republic of Belarus, as part of the process for obtaining the status of a member state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, joins" a number of treaties adopted by the SCO member nations.

Among the signed documents are the Charter of the SCO, signed in St. Petersburg on June 7, 2022, and amendments, the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism signed in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, and amendments, as well as the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, signed in St.

Petersburg on June 7, 2002, and amendments.

In early July, Belarus signed a memorandum of commitment in order to obtain the status of a member state of the organization, according to the New Delhi declaration of the SCO Heads of State Council. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra then said that Belarus will join the SCO as a full-fledged member at the next summit in 2024.

Belarus currently has the status of an observer. Last July, Minsk applied for the status of a full-fledged member of the organization.