India keen on joining SCO

[Choppers]

India keen on joining SCO​

SANDEEP DIKSHIT
NEW DELHI, April 3, 2010

Membership will allow India to play greater role in the region

After being unenthusiastic to the idea of joining the six-country Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in its first term of governance, the United Progressive Alliance government now in its second term is now keen on joining the grouping. “We are interested in SCO membership. It is a very important organisation concerning the region,” sources in the government said.

The government had asked the missions in four central Asian countries, Russia and China to explore the nature of rule changes for joining the SCO that are under way. India would take a view on joining the SCO after the criteria are adopted, the sources said.

India's inclination comes amid the SCO's plan to take into its fold more countries from the near neighbourhood, including Pakistan and possibly Iran. The rules for enrolment are expected to be unveiled around the next SCO summit, scheduled for June in Tashkent.

An entry into the SCO will allow India to play a greater role in the region, besides helping to narrow down the differences with its neighbours towards a solution in Afghanistan. In fact, Afghanistan will be one of the core issues at the SCO summit, with Uzbekistan likely to highlight the insufficient involvement of countries like Iran and India.

By joining the grouping, India will also have get an opportunity to interact with countries in the region that are interested in tackling the Iran issue.

A rethink on the SCO came about a year ago when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed the delegation to the summit in Yekaterinburg. This marked a departure from the past when India was represented once by a Foreign Minister, several times by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and once by Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan.

The Indian delegation to the Tashkent summit, likely to be led by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, will take stock of the deliberations on expanding the SCO.

New Delhi's earlier lack of enthusiasm to the SCO, it was officially explained, was due to the limited role of the observer countries. The organisation has addressed this problem by changing some of the norms to allow greater participation of observers at the Yekaterinburg summit.

At last year's Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bangalore, both Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi urged their counterpart Mr. Krishna to take greater interest in the SCO, as India was crucial to stabilising the neighbourhood.

Founded in 1996 as Shanghai Five with Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the organisation was renamed SCO five years later, with Uzbekistan coming on board. India, Iran. Pakistan and Mongolia are observers.

The Hindu : News : India keen on joining SCO

 

[Marxist]

Pakistan is also an observer country in SCO,they are also keen to join this organization.I think India should seriously consider joining SCO.

At last year's Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bangalore, both Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi urged their counterpart Mr. Krishna to take greater interest in the SCO, as India was crucial to stabilising the neighbourhood.

SO THE DEAL IS ALMOST DONE....with Russia&China supporting

 

[Hyde]

Last time they were refused for some reasons

I hope both Pakistan and India joins the SCO and come out of this Western blocks

 

[Iggy]

Last time they were refused for some reasons

I hope both Pakistan and India joins the SCO and come out of this Western blocks

I think to include a new country in SCO they need every countries approval and both India and Pakistan dont want each other in the organisation.. and they have trusted partners in the name of Russia and China respectively to block each other

 

[Materialistic]

I think to include a new country in SCO they need every countries approval and both India and Pakistan dont want each other in the organisation.. and they have trusted partners in the name of Russia and China respectively to block each other

But Russia and China are a little more concerned about the shift of power balance from west to east, both have same rivals (US and Europe) and they posses an optimistic view towards solving matters compared with India & Pakistan.

 

[Kinetic]

Last time they were refused for some reasons

I hope both Pakistan and India joins the SCO and come out of this Western blocks

That will be the greatest things. But India was never in western block. China have tensions with Taiwan, Japan and US but they are China's largest trading partners! India already favor trade with Pakistan. India have given MFN status to Pakistan but Pakistan was not interested. We may be adversaries but we can do business for our development.

 

[pop_alsa]

Some sane decision finally.

The puppet(MMS) got a nice kick from his master(USA) in Afghanistan and that seems to have put some sense into his head.

 

[Sino-PakFriendship]

I don't think India has interest to enter SCO.

 

[stephanieLukes]

Sound so interesting..

 

[Hafizzz]

I don't think India has interest to enter SCO.

I don't see what's point for allowing India in the club ? India will join the club to spy for Western countries in the SCO.

 

[challenger]

I don't see what's point for allowing India in the club ? India will join the club to spy for Western countries in the SCO.

Exactly so.

 

[ps80]

At last year's Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bangalore, both Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi urged their counterpart Mr. Krishna to take greater interest in the SCO, as India was crucial to stabilising the neighbourhood.

@Hafizzz and challenger

If Mr. Lavrov and Mr. Jiechi are not worried...then why are you two?

 

[su-47]

At last year's Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bangalore, both Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi urged their counterpart Mr. Krishna to take greater interest in the SCO, as India was crucial to stabilising the neighbourhood.

@Hafizzz and challenger

If Mr. Lavrov and Mr. Jiechi are not worried...then why are you two?

Paranoia.

India should give this some serious thought and analysis. Aside from trade benefits, it has big political implications as well, getting us closer to asian nations, and can be a good step forward in relations with China

 

[praveen007]

Apart fron above reason we together will make a large block which will act as a counter weight to west. and help us a lot

 

[amitksingh2003]

Last time they were refused for some reasons

I hope both Pakistan and India joins the SCO and come out of this Western blocks

Very well said.....I think all Asian countries should join hand together work for common development, promoting trade and mutual cooperation for development. All other platforms are mostly west dominated where they tend to impose their decesions to the suffering of developing countries mostly Asian.