Belarusian president announces pending entry into SCO, proposes SCO, EAEU, BRICS convergence

MINSK. July 4 (Interfax) - Minsk stands for a broad Eurasian partnership and convergence of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and BRICS formats, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"While clinging to its elusive dominance in a number of economic and financial sectors, the West tries to curb the development of unwelcome countries and imposes illegal, barbaric sanctions on them. Belarus actively promotes the idea of global development as an effective countermeasure. We have consistently called for a greater Eurasian partnership with countries we have close relations with, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and our CIS partners, alongside convergence of the Eurasian Economic Union, SCO and BRICS formats in a broad context," Lukashenko said at an online SCO summit on Tuesday.

The SCO has to focus on security, Lukashenko said. "The previous security system was not ideal, but still offered a mechanism of checks and balances and implied mandatory compliance with the international law. Now we see that all the rules and notions are broken. It's not surprising that the SCO has to increase its focus on security and stability in the region, rather than the economy," he said.

An exchange of expertise is important for technological development, Lukashenko said. He proposed drafting a program for pooling the information resources of technology transfer centers as a possible SCO pilot project. "This is how we can encourage the promotion and commercialization of scientific and technical projects," he said.

Lukashenko said he was sure that Belarus would be admitted to the SCO in the near future. "I am sure that Belarus, supported by all member states, will soon join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full-fledged member. We have done the corresponding work. We are grateful to everyone who supports our aspiration," he said.