India may get full membership of SCO

 India is likely to be granted “full membership” of the strategically-important Shanghai Cooperation Organisation soon, with the draft for the proposal having been cleared by foreign ministers of the member states.

The draft will be presented to the Heads of member states, who will take a final call in the SCO meeting next month, Bakhtiyer Khakimov, Special Representative of the Russian President for SCO affairs, on Friday said.

The “draft” to grant full membership to India and Pakistan was taken by foreign ministers of SCO members in Moscow yesterday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Ufa in Russia next month to attend the SCO summit.

“The Foreign Ministers of SCO approved <g data-gr-id="25">draft</g> of the decision of the Heads of the States. It marked the beginning of the procedure to let India and Pakistan join the SCO. This document will be presented to the Heads of the States for their approval. After <g data-gr-id="22">that</g> it will come into force.

“Approval of such a decision, if that takes place and this is the suggestion of the foreign ministers, would mean the beginning of the negotiation process involving technical and financial details of the country joining SCO,” Khakimov said in a press briefing through video-conferencing from Moscow.

He added that before acquiring the membership, the applicant state has to sign over 27 documents and fulfil the criteria.