Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Iran has become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is stated in the New Delhi Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States.

“Member states stressed the historic significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full member state. They also noted the importance of signing the Memorandum of Commitment of the Republic of Belarus in order to obtain the status of a SCO member state,” the declaration reads.

The SCO was founded in 2001. The organization includes India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus has an observer status.