The SCO allowed the market to merge with the BRICS

In the future, the SCO and BRICS markets may merge, the secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization told Izvestia.

"In the future, the possibility of combining the SCO and BRICS markets is not excluded, but this is a decision of the competent authorities of the respective countries. Currently, the SCO does not have on its agenda the issue of discussing common tariffs and other economic preferences for the countries of the two associations. Again, the decision is up to the leadership of our states," the organization's secretariat said.

The SCO includes Belarus, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran. Two more countries have observer status — Mongolia and de jure Afghanistan. In addition, the SCO has 14 dialogue partners. Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt and Indonesia are full members of the BRICS.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Merger and enhancement: the SCO allowed the market to merge with BRICS