The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is gaining political ground as more countries show interest in becoming member states, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military alliance, comprising Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran, India and Pakistan currently have observer state status and have shown interest in becoming full members.

"It shows that this organization is becoming even more dynamic, and its influence is expanding," the Chinese minister said at the SCO conference on regional security in Moscow, adding that Beijing supports the willingness of the bidding countries to join the group.

Mongolia and Afghanistan currently have observer state status. In addition, Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are so-called dialogue partners, seeking to establish mutually beneficial partnerships within the organization.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that in total 12 countries, in addition to the current members of the organization, have shown interest in the work of the SCO.

Russia currently holds the rotating SCO presidency. On Wednesday, member country foreign ministers discussed in Moscow global threats and challenges, and drafted an agreement on cooperation to counter terrorism and extremism for 2016-2018, to be signed at the July 8-10 SCO summit in Ufa, Russia.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will continue playing a constructive role in ensuring regional stability, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

"Regional stability is one of the important mandates of SCO for the past 14 years. We believe that the SCO has responsibility, obligations and capacity to… make [an] even greater contribution to the stability of the region."

Russia supports China's contribution to international efforts aimed at countering extremism and terrorism, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

"Russia supports the initiative of the Chinese partners regarding the draft SCO Convention on combating extremism, and urges to increase contribution to the international anti-terrorist cooperation under the aegis of the UN," Lavrov said at the SCO conference in Moscow.

The Russian minister urged promoting cooperation with relevant international and regional organizations and individual states as part of a security cooperation.