What's New

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO) SUMMIT 2024

Why in the news?

• High-Level Diplomatic Talks: Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

• Expansion and Relevance: India highlighted SCO’s strategic importance in its foreign policy, welcoming Belarus as the organization’s newest member.

Source: Sputnik

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Formation and Structure

• Established in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
• First summit held in Shanghai, China, emphasizing its Asian roots.
• HQ: Beijing , China

Membership of the SCO

Full Members:

• The SCO consists of eight member countries: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
• India Joined in 2017.
• Iran and Belarus  are the newest members.

Observers:

• Afghanistan, and Mongolia currently serve as observers with intentions to follow Iran’s lead.

Functional Aspects

• The SCO Secretariat operates in Russian and Chinese.
• Focuses on strengthening political, economic, and cultural ties among member states.
• Promotes collaboration in scientific-technical fields, tourism, and environmental protection.