Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that around 10 countries have submitted applications to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as observers or dialogue partners, with the requests currently under review.

Speaking at the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, Putin voiced Moscow’s support for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiatives on global governance and expressed Russia’s readiness to begin practical discussions on Beijing’s proposals.

Earlier in the summit, Xi unveiled a “Global Governance Initiative,” aimed at working with other nations to build what he described as a more just and balanced international order.