Belarus to become full SCO member at Astana summit - Russian presidential aide

MOSCOW. July 2 (Interfax) - Belarus will attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana on July 4 for the first time as a full member of the organization, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

"It [the meeting of the SCO Council of the Heads of State] will have a somewhat unusual beginning, as it will formally sum up results of Belarus' work on the entry into the organization and Belarus will be granted the status of a full SCO member," Ushakov told reporters.

"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will be able to attend the meeting of the Council of the Heads of State from the very first minutes and to address the audience," he said.

Ushakov described Belarus' entry into the SCO as "a quite significant political event."