Lavrov: The very first act of the Astana summit will be the official admission of Belarus to the SCO

Belarus is expected to join the SCO at the upcoming summit in Astana. It will be held on July 3 and 4. The Russian side has provided a lot of assistance to our country in this regard.

The President personally expressed his gratitude to the Russian Foreign Minister for the work done. Alexander Lukashenko and Sergei Lavrov held talks at the Palace of Independence today. The foreign minister is in Minsk on an official visit. Our President emphasized the important role of the Foreign Ministries of Belarus and Russia in the union track. Their work is an example for other agencies of our countries. Facilitating Belarus' full-fledged entry into the Shanghai family can hardly be overestimated.

"Judging by your statements lately, I see that we have fulfilled all obligations and there are no such problems regarding Belarus' accession to the SCO today. This is very important for Belarus," said the President of Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko emphasized the importance of being present at such a "more or less specific" international platform where the leading leaders of the world powers participate.

"It is important not only in terms of image and politics, but also in terms of economy. There is an opportunity to discuss any issues, including specific ones, at any time," he said.

However, earlier, as the head of state noted, he could always talk to any of the SCO leaders, get answers on some issues or support on certain problems.