The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is getting ready to accept new countries as members - thus, there is already a consensus on the accession of Belarus as a full member, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Friday following a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the organization's member states.
The minister said he was ready to listen to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had requested a telephone conversation with him, called French President Emmanuel Macron's words about expanding Russian cooperation with African countries insulting and said he did not expect any provocations around Taiwan.
TASS collected Lavrov's main theses.
SCO expansion
There is a consensus within the SCO that Belarus has been accepted as a full-fledged member of the organization, having filed an application to this effect in mid-July.
The accession process for Iran, which received official candidate status last year, is already in progress; "the relevant documents will be additionally adopted [at the SCO summit] in Samarkand."
There are a number of other applicants for observer status, for status of dialogue partners. These include Azerbaijan, Armenia and a number of Asian and Arab countries.
Settlements in national currencies
The participants of the meeting in Tashkent agreed on a road map for using the national currencies in mutual settlements. The leaders of the SCO member states will consider a corresponding agreement at their summit in September.
Each country of the organization "should decide for itself how comfortable it feels relying on the dollar, given the absolute unreliability of this currency in terms of the possibility of abuse." However, the very fact that a road map has been agreed "speaks volumes about the direction in which the process is going."
The ministers also reviewed the draft Samarkand declaration, which is "at a high stage of readiness," and other draft documents that relate to integration. Especially important is the concept of interconnecting transport corridors; this is "a very practically significant agreement."
Russia and Africa
Moscow considers Macron's words, including those about Russia's "support of completely failed, illegitimate regimes and juntas" in Africa offensive, first of all to the countries of this continent: "One would have expected a more ethical statement from the French."
African countries, like the SCO states, understand that any member of the international community can be subject to US sanctions.
Africa has experience of common currencies in some sub-regional structures. So far, they are tied to Western currencies, but this may change in the future: "Starting next year, they will have a fully functioning continental free trade zone. Probably the logical step would be to somehow reinforce this free trade area with currency arrangements."
Contacts with the US
Moscow and Washington are coordinating a date for Lavrov's phone conversation with Blinken, but it is unlikely to take place this Friday. The Russian side learned about the request from the US secretary of state's televised speech: "It took about 24 hours before we received the official request."
The United States plans to discuss the fate of Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, whom it proposes to exchange for Russian Viktor Bout, as well as put forward proposals on a scheme to export Ukrainian grain. The Russian side is ready to listen to them.
Situation around Taiwan
Lavrov did not discuss the situation around Taiwan at his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Tashkent on Thursday. Russia still adheres to the position of one China: "For us, this issue is absolutely clear."
Moscow assumes that "no provocations that could aggravate this situation [around Taiwan] will be made." Previously, Beijing had promised a harsh response if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS