SCO promises hope

[Yeti]

While External Affairs Minister S M Krishna flies Tuesday to Beijing to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on June 6 and 7, New Delhi is clear that it is ready to join as a member but the SCO must finalise its rules first.

New Delhi has been an observer in the group since 2005. While some of the rules were approved at the Kazakhstan Summit last year, other regulations are yet to be ironed out and it could be 2014 before India becomes an SCO member.

While Russia has backed full membership of India in the SCO and asked for New Delhi’s as well as Pakistan’s entry to be speeded up, China has cited procedural issues over expanding the grouping. However, Delhi doesn’t see Beijing as blocking its membership deliberately. During his visit, Krishna is expected to meet Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang.

India is keen to participate in the SCO’s counter-terror exercises and seek closer partnership in the SCO’s Tashkent-based Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure (RCTS), said sources. Other SCO activities India is interested in include the meeting of trade ministers and the SCO’s discussions on the situation in Afghanistan.

Also on the agenda of the SCO Summit are accepting Turkey as a “dialogue partner” and Afghanistan as an “observer”. China has said it doesn’t have objections to the proposals as both are “NATO-friendly countries”.

Afghanistan is currently part of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, which helps SCO member states jointly contribute to reconstruction and stability in the country. Apart from India and now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia have observer status. Turkey will join the ranks of Belarus and Sri Lanka as a dialogue partner.


The presence of Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be keenly watched. He has used the SCO platform earlier to make his voice heard.

The summit will also outline the SCO’s agenda for the next decade. New Delhi will be keen to see what emerges in the “outcome document” as it will indicate China and Russia’s vision ahead.

This year’s summit is also important as it is taking place in China, 10 years after it began in 2001 in Shanghai.

The SCO comprises Russia, China and energy-rich Central Asian states, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Leon Panetta arrives today for talks

As US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta arrives Tuesday on a two-day visit, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan is likely to top discussions. Panetta arrives days after he announced that the US would be increasing its naval presence in the region by 2020. He will be meeting PM Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and NSA Shivshankar Menon and will be updated on the status of military cooperation between the two nations.

Be careful in India, China tells citizens

Days after India advised traders against doing business in Yiwu, Beijing responded by advising its citizens traveling to India to be careful in view of protests against the petrol price hike.

“Many places in India are witnessing protests due to recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt or been impacted to different degrees,” said an advisory on Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website. “The Embassy in India would like to alert Chinese citizens about this and request them to confirm their itinerary... to avoid delays... they should be careful about personal safety and safeguard their belongings.”


China wary, India bides time on SCO - Indian Express

 

[NeutralCitizen]

Control Central Asia you control where the Opium flows, now it's at Russia however stabilizing Afghanistan possibility you could flood eastern Europe with opium.

 

[Yeti]

Control Central Asia you control where the Opium flows, now it's at Russia however stabilizing Afghanistan possibility you could flood eastern Europe with opium.

Opium growing has increased since the fall of the Taliban but the demand is not in East Europe but the cities like London or New York.

The Opium which is made into heroin goes through to transit countries like Turkey and to ports like Rotterdam where it is distributed in the west the big market for drug use.

 

[NeutralCitizen]

Opium growing has increased since the fall of the Taliban but the demand is not in East Europe but the cities like London or New York.

The Opium which is made into heroin goes through to transit countries like Turkey and to ports like Rotterdam where it is distributed in the west the big market for drug use.

Russia is a very large consumer of opium it's causing many problem russia would like a stable afghanistan and reduce the flow of it, right now with the population problem and the poor health system this isn't helping.

 

[Contrarian]

Does this mean they will be non permanent members and will leave their seat whereas China will always be there. That is such a shame that a small country by population like UK is also permanent but 1.2 billion Indians are not allowed.

Well if India does not join we can all gang up and dismember India and truly make our neighbourhood peaceful lol

That is the fate of American proxies

You obviously have not learned even after being banned once have you? Back to trolling and provoking?
Cant change i guess! Sigh..

 

[Yeti]

Russia is a very large consumer of opium it's causing many problem russia would like a stable afghanistan and reduce the flow of it, right now with the population problem and the poor health system this isn't helping.

Yes there was a interview on RT channel regarding this issue, even in Pakistan it has caused much damage to the youth and in India the state of Punjab Heroin is a big problem.

 

[NeutralCitizen]

Yes there was a interview on RT channel regarding this issue, even in Pakistan it has caused much damage to the youth and in India the state of Punjab Heroin is a big problem.

I would also like to mention with the current India policy including Indian population wary of the SCO, I don't think India will join because the SCO is to counter balance the USA, EU NATO influence, Indian preference has always been with western countries the weapons deals with russia are slowing.

 

[Yeti]

I would also like to mention with the current India policy including Indian population wary of the SCO, I don't think India will join because the SCO is to counter balance the USA, EU NATO influence, Indian preference has always been with western countries the weapons deals with russia are slowing.

We are keen on some aspects of SCO such as expanding counter-terror operations and energy security.

India is keen to participate in the SCO’s counter-terror exercises and seek closer partnership in the SCO’s Tashkent-based Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure (RCTS), said sources. Other SCO activities India is interested in include the meeting of trade ministers and the SCO’s discussions on the situation in Afghanistan.

 

[NeutralCitizen]

We are keen on some aspects of SCO such as expanding counter-terror operations and energy security.

Maybe a role stronger then observer however the Indian dream alliance has always been with NATO, Australia, Israel, Japan I don't fully see india in the sco but then again anything could happen.

 

[Yeti]

India was never a prefered partner of the west we started life with NAM. The Yanks and the British refused to let us buy the saab viggen which we wanted and also they would not share technology with us so we went in the camp of Russia and not looked back since.

Maybe a role stronger then observer however the Indian dream alliance has always been with NATO, Australia, Israel, Japan I don't fully see india in the sco but then again anything could happen.

That is utter rubbish India is never going to be part of NATO we have not even signed basic US pacts.

Russia has closer defence ties with India than with any other country, including China, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.
“As far as joint [defence] projects are concerned, we have advanced farther with India than with any other country, including China,” Mr. Putin said, citing the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, the Akula class nuclear submarine leased to India, the multi-role transport aircraft and the fifth-generation fighter plane.

“The nuclear submarine should have set sail to India the other day. We are very actively working with them [Indians] on the transport plane. They have joined us full swing in the work for the Perspective Aviation Complex for Frontline Aviation (PAK-FA), T-50,” Mr. Putin said at a meeting with Russian security and defence experts on Friday at the Sarov nuclear centre.



The Hindu : News / International : We

 

[NeutralCitizen]

India was never a prefered partner of the west we started life with NAM. The Yanks and the British refused to let us buy the saab viggen which we wanted and also they would not share technology with us so we went in the camp of Russia and not looked back since.




That is utter rubbish India is never going to be part of NATO we have not even signed basic US pacts.

Russia has closer defence ties with India than with any other country, including China, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.
“As far as joint [defence] projects are concerned, we have advanced farther with India than with any other country, including China,” Mr. Putin said, citing the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, the Akula class nuclear submarine leased to India, the multi-role transport aircraft and the fifth-generation fighter plane.

“The nuclear submarine should have set sail to India the other day. We are very actively working with them [Indians] on the transport plane. They have joined us full swing in the work for the Perspective Aviation Complex for Frontline Aviation (PAK-FA), T-50,” Mr. Putin said at a meeting with Russian security and defence experts on Friday at the Sarov nuclear centre.



The Hindu : News / International : We

I'm aware of that maybe it's the indian policy of being neutral that has shaped my opinion well I never said join NATO but have a stronger relationship with it, the current policy of being neutral and joining the SCO which is to counter balance NATO and the west. but then again I would have to agree with a few points you made.

 

[Yeti]

I'm aware of that maybe it's the indian policy of being neutral that has shaped my opinion well I never said join NATO but have a stronger relationship with it, the current policy of being neutral and joining the SCO which is to counter balance NATO and the west. but then again I would have to agree with a few points you made.

To have a stronger relationship with NATO one must be a major Non-Nato ally such as Pakistan and we are not that.

 

[SHAMK9]

India-China alliance will be a nightmare to the US, that's the last thing they want.

india and china should stop hatin each other and aim for a better future there is no reason for them to hate each other but friendship would be beneficial to both

 

[Yeti]

Major non-NATO ally - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[NeutralCitizen]

To have a stronger relationship with NATO one must be a major Non-Nato ally such as Pakistan and we are not that.

Count Egypt out and the pakistan-nato strong relationship isn't going so well.

india and china should stop hatin each other and aim for a better future there is no reason for them to hate each other but friendship would be beneficial to both

Solve the border issues and the tibetan refugees.