Beijing: A Belarusian researcher has described the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, set to start in China on Sunday, as an opportunity for member states to unite against Western expansionism and prevent the return of colonial practices. Peter Petrovsky, a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, emphasized the significance of the summit in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Petrovsky stated that the two-day summit will allow members to strengthen cooperation in the face of the 'collective West's' hegemonic ambitions. The SCO summit will be attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who traveled to China earlier in the day to take part in both the SCO and SCO Plus meetings, joining officials from more than 30 countries.

Iran became a full member of the SCO in 2023. Other permanent members include China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Several other countries, including Mongolia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, participate as observers or dialogue partners.

Petrovsky referred to the August 20 meeting between President Pezeshkian and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. He noted that the two countries share a common commitment to building a fairer, multipolar world order. The scholar highlighted the risks posed by the collective West, which he described as the heir of the old colonial system, seeking to expand its hegemony through armed conflicts and undermining the sovereignty of countries it deems undesirable.

He further added that cooperation between Iran and Belarus within the SCO framework is an important element for making international relations more balanced, secure, and just.