Minsk expects Belarus to join SCO in July - media

MINSK. May 21 (Interfax) - A summit in Astana has confirmed that Belarus will become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in July, the Belarusian state-run television channel ONT said on Tuesday.

"Belarus will become a full SCO member as early as July. This was confirmed at the summit in Astana. The capital of Kazakhstan is hosting a meeting of the [SCO] Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It was the first time Belarus participated in such a forum," the channel said.

"Although Belarus will only become a full member of the Shanghai family in mid-summer, given the rich international agenda Minsk provisionally attended the ministerial meeting. Such was the initiative of the ministers," it said.

The country's full membership is expected to be finalized at a SCO summit in Astana on July 4.