---
title: "Belarus becomes SCO member — Definition & Meaning"
description: "Belarus became the tenth full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in July 2024, marking its first European state admission to the bloc."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/belarus-becomes-sco-member"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Belarus became the tenth full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the Astana summit in July 2024, the first European state admitted to the bloc.
- When and where did Belarus become a full SCO member?
- What was Belarus's status in the SCO before full membership?
- Why is Belarus's SCO membership geopolitically significant?
- How many full members does the SCO have after Belarus joined?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Positions at a glance

### Supporters

Mechanically, SCO accession requires a candidate to first hold dialogue-partner and then observer status, sign the SCO Charter and the principal treaties—including the 2001 Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism—and accept obligations across the "three evils" security agenda and economic cooperation. Decisions on admission are taken by consensus of the Heads of State Council, the supreme organ of the SCO. Belarus's membership deepens its alignment with China and Russia at a time when Minsk faces extensive Western sanctions following the 2020 post-election crackdown and its support for Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. For President Alexander Lukashenko, SCO entry signals a diplomatic "pivot to the East" and access to a non-Western multilateral platform spanning roughly 40% of the world's population.

### Opponents

The 2024 Astana Declaration emphasised a multipolar world order, opposition to unilateral sanctions and protectionism, and reform of global governance—themes consonant with the broader BRICS and Global South discourse. Belarus's admission also strengthens the Russia–China axis within the bloc, since Minsk is a close treaty ally of Moscow under the Union State and a member of the CSTO and EAEU. As of 2026, the SCO comprises ten full members, with Mongolia and several Gulf and Asian states (including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain) holding dialogue-partner status, consolidating the organisation as the largest regional bloc by area and population.

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At the Astana summit on 4 July 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced Belarus's formal accession, and Alexander Lukashenko hailed the SCO as a pillar of a "fair multipolar world order."

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