The SCO

The 2016 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit started in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 2-day meeting of heads of state of SCO is being conducted under the presidency of Uzbekistan. Key Facts During the summit, the issues related to strengthen stability and security in Central Asia will be undertaken. It will also take into consideration the expansion of SCO’s contacts with other international organization and states. It will also seek wide involvement of the SCO observer states and dialogue partners in practical cooperation within the organization will be discussed. In it, India and Pakistan will sign a memorandum of obligation for obtaining SCO member states status. About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) SCO is a Eurasian economic, political and military organisation. Its aim is jointly preserving and safeguarding regional peace, security and stability and also establishing a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order. Headquarters: Beijing, China. Established: 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders 6 countries viz. China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is an outcome of The Shanghai Five grouping established in 1996 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. SCO’s first enlargement was in 2001 with addition of Uzbekistan and second enlargement was in July 2015 with addition of 2 new members India and Pakistan. Presently, it has four observers Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia. Since 2005, India was having an Observer status of SCO and had applied for full membership in 2014.