The Lao People's Democratic Republic formally became a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday following the signing of a memorandum granting its status.

The signing ceremony was held at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing on Friday, formalizing the agreement made by SCO heads of state at the 2025 Tianjin Summit to admit Laos as a dialogue partner.

The organization now comprises 10 member states, two observer states and 15 dialogue partners, including Laos.