Amid a rapidly changing global landscape, a multipolar world order is officially here, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, Ednews reports via TASS.

"Today, as the world goes through rapid and irreversible changes, the SCO’s proactive position in international affairs is much needed. A multipolar world is already a reality," he pointed out.

"We are convinced that along with BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a pillar of the emerging world order. These two organizations serve as a powerful driving force behind global development processes and efforts to ensure true multipolarity," Putin added.

The Russian president noted that "an increasing number of countries are calling for a fairer world order and express determination to defend their legitimate rights and traditional values; new centers of power and economic development are emerging and growing stronger."

According to the Russian leader, the SCO’s initiative "On Global Unity for a Just World and Harmony" marks a step towards multipolarity. "The initiative is clearly aimed at developing measures of trust particularly in the field of stability and security, primarily in our common Eurasian region," Putin explained. "These measures are meant to guarantee equal conditions for development for all, regardless of countries’ political and economic systems, religious and cultural background," Putin said.