Armenia has officially applied for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced.
According to Pashinyan, Armenia has submitted a request to the SCO to initiate the process of joining the organization.
«Yes, we have applied for SCO membership. This is in line with our policy of balance and equilibrium,» he told journalists.
Earlier, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported that Armenia had expressed its desire to join the organization.
«Sharing the fundamental principles of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — territorial integrity, non-use of force, and the inviolability of borders — the Republic of Armenia has expressed its desire to become a member of the SCO,» the statement reads.
On June 27, during an official visit to China, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev. The ministry noted that the parties discussed cooperation with the SCO and expressed mutual satisfaction with the ongoing active dialogue and the progress achieved under Armenia’s current partner status.
It was reported in the summer of 2024 that Armenia, along with Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, had submitted applications to the SCO to obtain observer status.
