Armenia and Azerbaijan’s accession to SCO takes time, but process is underway – Alimov

Rashid Alimov, former secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), stated that the issue of Armenia and Azerbaijan joining the organization is not being delayed but is proceeding according to established procedures. In an interview with TASS, he emphasized that decisions on admitting new members are made solely by consensus.

According to Alimov, the mechanism for admitting new states to the SCO has long been established and proven reliable. “Not a single application in the organization’s history has been rejected—each is reviewed individually and with particular care,” he said.

He also added that while the process may appear lengthy from the outside, this does not reflect the actual situation.

“The SCO does not make hasty decisions, but what matters is that work on the applications continues,” Alimov concluded.