ASTANA, June 4 (RIA Novosti) - The foreign ministers of the countries within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are holding a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital.

Alexander Yakovenko, an official Russian foreign ministry spokesman, said the ministers were discussing preparations for the SCO summit, due in Astana on July 5-6.

In addition, the ministers will focus on the most important aspects of regional cooperation, the organization's development prospects, and ways to counter new challenges and threats in the region.

The SCO was formed in 2001 by six countries, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, to promote confidence-building and disarmament in the border areas. However, gradually the organization included cooperation in the political, economic, and other spheres in its agenda.

The foreign ministers are expected to consider admitting India, Iran, and Pakistan as observers, according to Yakovenko. However, they only can recommend admitting countries, while the final decision on the score will be adopted by the SCO leaders at the summit.

Alexander Ivanov, the director of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and common Asian affairs department of the Russian foreign ministry, said the foreign ministers would also focus on ways to ensure security and stability in the region.

"Those present at the meeting are not indifferent to what happened in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan recently," said Ivanov.

Ivanov recalled security council secretaries of the SCO countries had met in Astana two days ago and advanced specific security proposals. He suggested they could be included in the draft documents to be considered at the summit.