Armenia Seeks Full Membership in SCO, Signals Balanced Foreign Policy

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that an application was officially submitted to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Pashinyan made the remarks at a press conference in Yerevan, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

Pashinyan highlighted that the move is consistent with Armenia’s goal of maintaining a balanced and pragmatic foreign policy.

“We will continue working in this direction,” he stated.

Currently, Armenia holds observer status within the SCO. Earlier this month, the Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed the country’s desire to advance to full membership, underscoring its commitment to the organization’s fundamental principles such as territorial integrity, non-use of force, and respect for sovereign borders.

Established in 2001, the SCO is a prominent Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance comprising ten member states: Russia, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.

The SCO heads of state summit is scheduled to take place in China in late August to early September 2025, where Armenia’s application is expected to be discussed.