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Belarus, Iran Discuss Bilateral Cooperation Within BRICS, SCO

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik discussed on Thursday with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri the countries' mutual support within international organizations, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Sputnik
"[Aleinik and Bagheri] exchanged views on urgent issues on the regional and international agenda. They paid special attention to cooperation and mutual support within the framework of international organizations, including the SCO and BRICS," the ministry said.
The sides also discussed prospects for the development of the Belarusian-Iranian relations and plans for bilateral events, it said.
BRICS held its annual top-level summit in South Africa's Johannesburg, in July. During the summit, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia and Egypt were invited to join the group during the summit. In May, Belarus officially applied for membership in the group.
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The SCO is an intergovernmental organization, currently comprising nine member states: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It also has three observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey are among the organization's 14 dialogue partners. In July, the members signed a memorandum on Minsk's obligations for accession to the bloc officially expected in 2024.
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