Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - SCO

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation  - SCO 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO or Shanghai Pact is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. Now SCO has 6 Members.

China, 

Kazakhstan, 

Kyrgyzstan, 

Russia, 

Tajikistan, 

Uzbekistan

Observers
India
Iran
Mongolia
Pakistan
Secretariate
Bejing

Annual Summit

2001 People's Republic of China ----------Shanghai 
2002 Russia -----------------------------Saint Petersburg 
2003 Russia -----------------------------Moscow 
2004 Uzbekistan -------------------------Tashkent 
2005 Kazakhstan ------------------------Astana 
2006 People's Republic of China ----------Shanghai 
2007 Kyrgyzstan ------------------------Bishkek 
2008 Tajikistan --------------------------Dushanbe
2009 Russia -----------------------------Yekaterinburg

Secretary General 
Bolat Nurgaliyev__________________

Future membership possibilities

In June 2010, the SCO approved the procedure of admitting new members, though new members have yet to be admitted. Several states, however, participate as observers, some of whom have expressed interest in becoming full members in the future. The implications of Iran joining the organization has been given much thought academically. In early September 2013 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart that Armenia would like to obtain an observer status in the SCO. A senior Chinese official indicated that India and Pakistan may become regular members at the 2014 SCO summit.

·        Afghanistan received observer status at the 2012 SCO summit in Beijing, China on June 6, 2012.

·         India has observer status in the SCO. Russia has encouraged India to join the organisation as a full-time member, because they see it as a crucial future strategic partner. China has welcomed India's accession to the SCO. India applied for membership in September 2014.

·         Iran has observer status in the organisation, and applied for full membership on 24 March 2008. However, because of ongoing sanctions levied by the United Nations, it is blocked from admission as a new member. The SCO stated that any country under U.N. sanctions cannot be admitted.

·         Mongolia became the first country to receive observer status at the 2004 Tashkent Summit. Pakistan, India and Iranreceived observer status at the 2005 SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on 5 July 2005.

·         Pakistan has observer status in the SCO. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf argued in favour of Pakistan's qualification to join the organisation as a full member during a joint summit with China in 2006. Russia publicly endorsed Pakistan's bid to get full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), as (Russian) Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made this announcement in response to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's address at the SCO meeting at the Constantine Palace, 6 November 2011 Russia has taken the stance despite the strong relations with India. China has said that it would convey Pakistan's desire to all SCO member states. In turn, Musharraf was formally invited to the sixth summit of the SCO to take place in Shanghai in June. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gillani once again argued in favour of Pakistan's qualification to join the organisation as a full member. On November 7, 2011, Russia, for the first time, publicly endorsed Pakistan’s bid to get full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. At the SCO Summit in 2014, China also expressed support for Pakistan's application for full membership