Russia, China want India, Pakistan to become SCO members shortly

MOSCOW. November 1. KAZINFORM Russia and China would like to seek India and Pakistan among the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, October 31, after a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin and his Chinese counterpart Cheng Guoping.

"The sides called for accelerated SCO enlargement in keeping with the decisions of the Council of the SCO Heads of State made in Astana in June," the ministry said, referring to admission of India and Pakistan as members and Afghanistan as an observer, and granting of the status of dialogue partner to Turkey.

According to Itar-Tass, the diplomats "'coordinated the positions of the sides on further improvement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's activities in the light of preparations for a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government in St. Petersburg on November 7 and the SCO summit in China in the summer of 2012."

They "confirmed the readiness of Russia and China to interact effectively in ensuring security and stability in the SCO region, intensifying economic cooperation, primarily in the fields of transport, energy, science and technologies, in financing joint projects, and further facilitating humanitarian ties within the organisation," the ministry said.

"The consultations were held in an atmosphere of full understanding and trust that are characteristic of Russian-Chinese strategic partnership," it said.

No new admissions to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation were made at its summit in Astana on June 14-15.

But "the interest in the Organisation is growing" and the SCO "makes an ever growing contribution to the development of confidence and security building measures", presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said earlier.

Details also at http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/260797.html