New Delhi - On July 4, the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will convene for an online summit hosted by India, aimed at expanding the influence of the Eurasian group by considering the inclusion of Iran and paving the way for Belarus to become a member.

During the virtual summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will participate, marking Putin's first engagement in an international event since suppressing a mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in late June.

Established in 2001 by China and Russia, with the subsequent addition of former Soviet central Asian states, India, and Pakistan, the SCO is an eight-member political and security organization focused on countering western influence in Eurasia.

Iran is expected to be granted membership, while Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations, setting the stage for its future membership. Once both countries, which currently hold observer status and maintain close ties with Moscow, join the SCO, the organization will expand its presence in both Europe and Asia.

This summit occurs just two weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States, during which India and the U.S. referred to themselves as "among the closest partners in the world."

As India holds the presidency of both the SCO and the G20 this year, it has navigated a delicate diplomatic situation, given the strained relations between western nations and the Russia-China alliance due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year and China's increasingly assertive presence on the global stage.