Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders to discuss association’s expansion - Kremlin spokesman

UFA, July 10. /TASS/. The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are discussing at their narrow format meeting the issue of admitting new members to this association, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. The results of this meeting will be known after the discussion is over, Peskov said. "A discussion in under way and for this purpose the heads of state are meeting now in a narrow format to finalize a common position," the Kremlin spokesman said. That is why, this is not a ceremonial event but a working meeting in a narrow format. Let’s wait for its results," the Kremlin spokesman said. Several countries, including India and Pakistan have said they wanted to join the SCO. Shanghai Cooperation Organization The SCO creation was proclaimed on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. At present five countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, and Pakistan) have observer-nation status, and three more countries (Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka), dialogue partner status. The SCO member states occupy a territory of around 30 million 189 thousand square kilometers, which makes up three-fifths of the Eurasian continent, and have a population of 1.5 billion, which makes up a quarter of the planet's population. India and Pakistan officially applied for full SCO membership in September 2014. Iran also seeks full membership in the organization. The SCO has established relations with the United Nations, where it is an observer at the General Assembly, with the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Read more