Pakistan’s, India’s entry into SCO will improve its security effectiveness - Russia’s defense minister

ASTANA, June 7. /TASS/. Pakistan’s and India’s entry into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will improve its security effectiveness, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday. "The formalization of the Indian and Pakistani membership status will be completed within two days at the summit of heads of states in Astana. This will expand the opportunities of the organization in the security area," he said at a meeting of defense ministers of SCO member-countries in Kazakhstan. According to Shoigu, the SCO member-states have accumulated a "strong potential of cooperation." "Despite escalation in many places of the world we’ve managed to prevent destabilization in the SCO area of responsibility," he said. Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are currently member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Read more