Russia counts on SCO support in restoration of Syria as united country - Defense Minister

BEIJING, April 24. /TASS/. Russia counts on the support of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in restoring Syria as a united and indivisible country, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Tuesday. "At present, all conditions are created for the revival of Syria as a united, indivisible state. However, in order to achieve this goal it is necessary to make efforts not only for Russia but also for other members of the world community," Shoygu said in Beijing at a meeting of the SCO defense ministers. "We count on the support of the SCO member states," the minister said. The meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) started in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting is the final stage of preparations for the SCO summit on June 9-10 in China’s Qingdao. The ministers will analyze the progress of the coordination of documents and decisions, which are planned to be submitted to the heads of state. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on an official two-day visit to China, heads the Russian delegation. Earlier on Monday, he held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and was received by the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping. The declaration on the establishment of the SCO was signed in Shanghai in June 2001 by six states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. On June 9, 2017, India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO.