Vladimir Putin does not rule out Shanghai Cooperation Organisation future expansion

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out the future expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, however, this issue was not practically considered at the summit in St. Petersburg. Putin announced this at a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev, following the summit.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is not a closed bloc organisation," Putin stressed.

"Theoretically everything is possible," Vladimir Putin said about the SCO expansion. "Every country, sharing the principles, outlined in the Charter, can join the organisation," the Russian President noted.

At the same time he reminded those present that the organisation "has just been created de jure and signed its Charter". "The organisation should start working to be ready for expansion," Vladimir Putin said.