India to become a Permanent Member of SCO

India will become the permanent member of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) during the organisation’s 2-day summit meeting beginning in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent on June 23 and 24.

India will sign a memorandum of obligation for the membership. Notably, the heads of member states took the decision to include India as a full member at a meeting in Ufa last year.

At present Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are permanent members of the SCO, founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001. India was admitted as observer Of SCO at the 2005 Astana Summit.

The SCO aims at strengthening friendly relations amongst member states and maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. It promotes co-operation in combating terrorism and the menace of narcotic substances.

India’s inclusion in the group will expand the territory of the organization and it will nearly account for 80% of the Eurasian continent and will have a population of 2.7 billion, more than one third of world’s population. It will certainly increase block’s political and economic potential and improve the ability to counter pressing regional challenges.