Cambodia, Syria, Azerbaijan interested in joining SCO - Russian presidential adviser

UFA, July 7. /TASS/. Cambodia, Syria and Azerbaijan show interest in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), but there are strict criteria for accession that should be followed, Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov told journalists on Tuesday. "Cambodia, Syria, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Sri Lanka" are interested in joining SCO in the future, Kobyakov, who also serves as secretary of the Organizing Committee for Russia’s presidency in SCO and BRICS, said. "But there is a certain procedure, it’s not that simple. There are 28 documents that outline strict rules for accession to the organization. They need to be followed before joining SCO," he noted. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status, while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are "dialogue partners." Read more