The Foreign Ministers’ Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization convened today in Astana for its regular meeting, Kazinform News Agency reports.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu welcomed the participants and named the meeting a key and final stage in preparation for the XXIV SCO Summit slated for 3-4 July in Astana.

The meeting began with a moment of silence observed over the deaths of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Murat Nurtleu also welcomed the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Belarus – Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Sergey Aleynik for the first time participating in the Council’s work.

Murat Nurtleu said that for almost a quarter of century of its development, the SCO had gained the status of an authoritative and efficient platform of multi-profile interaction. For its part, Kazakhstan continuously worked to comprehensively unveil the SCO potential, striving to build inclusive dialogue and cooperation for the benefit of sustainable development and prosperity.

The Kazakh Minister added that the SCO member states laid high hopes on the upcoming meeting of the SCO Heads of State in Astana, while the upcoming talks and decisions are called to open a new century-long history of the organization and confirm the commitment to the common efforts on maintaining peace and ensuring sustainable development.

The SCO Heads of State Summit in Astana will be held in an extended format with the participation of observer countries, partners and the UN Secretary General.