India Officially a Part of SCO, So is Pakistan

India, which has been on an Observer status for the past 10 years, will become the member by next year.

Indian Prime Minister Modi with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. (Photo: Twitter.com/@PMOIndia)

India now has full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) along with Pakistan.

The announcement came during the ongoing BRICS summit in Russia.

India has been trying to gain membership of the SCO over the past decade.

In February, during a trilateral meet between Russian, Indian and Chinese foreign authorities, the possibility of India joining the two decade old organisation was nullified.

The organisation is expected to help both the countries, along with its other member-countries, to counter issues like terrorism, drug-trafficking and such.

India, which has an Observer status for the past 10 years, will technically become the member by next year after completion of certain procedures.

Beijing-based SCO currently has China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as members.

Sino-Indian Relations

India’s entry into SCO may be a positive step in strengthening the Sino-Indian relationship after the recent strain it has been going through over China’s support to Pakistan.

China’s recent move in the United Nations to block India’s opposition to Pakistan releasing Lakhvi, had put strain on the relations between the two countries.

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is an accused and the mastermind in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.