IRAN'S INDUCTION INTO THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION
Iran joins the SCO as its ninth member at the virtual summit chaired by the Indian Prime Minister.
IRAN'S INDUCTION INTO THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION
• Iran joins the SCO as its ninth member at the virtual summit chaired by the Indian Prime Minister.
• SCO was built on the 'Shanghai Five' grouping of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, which had come together in the post-Soviet era in 1996.
• In 2001, the Shanghai Five included Uzbekistan and named it SCO.
• The organisation has two permanent bodies– the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing, and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terroist Structure in Tashkent.
• The main goals of SCO are: "strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;
promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture.. making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region;
and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order".
• India and Pakistan joined the SCO in 2017 as full members. Since 2014, the countries have cut all ties, talks and trade with each other. However, both have consistently attended all meetings of SCO's three councils– Heads of State, Heads of Government, Council of Foreign Ministers.
• At the SCO both also take part in military and anti-terrorism exercises together, as part of the SCO RATS.
• For India, SCO's focus on regional connectivity and Iran's entrance in the grouping is important. India has built a connectivity strategy through Iran's Chabahar port, where it operates a terminal and through the International North South Transport Corridor that goes through Iran and Central Asia to Russia.
• it also allows India to conduct trade with the CAR while staying out of China's Belt and Road Initiative.