Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A decision has been made to postpone the SCO summit, which was planned for the coming July, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the global coronavirus pandemic and the associated temporary restrictive measures, the Organizing Committee for the preparation and maintenance of the Russian Federation’s chairmanship of the SCO in 2019–2020 and BRICS in 2020 decided to postpone earlier planned for 21–23 July 2020, in St. Petersburg, the meeting of the leaders of the BRICS countries and the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states,” the statement said.

According to the agency, the new date of the summit will be determined depending on the further development of the epidemiological situation in the union states and in the world as a whole.

Founded on 15 June 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently unites 8 member countries (India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and 3 observer countries (Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia), as well as SCO dialogue partners. The organization unites countries, the total number of which is half the world's population.

SCO summits were held in Tashkent in 2004, 2010 and 2016.