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SCO Eyes Further Expansion With Applications From More Eurasian Countries

© Photo : Twitter/@MEAIndiaIndian MEA S Jaishankar and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev in Delhi
Indian MEA S Jaishankar and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev in Delhi - Sputnik India, 1920, 06.02.2025
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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and conducted consultations with envoys of other SCO states stationed in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has received applications from various countries for different categories of membership of the Eurasian political, economic, international security and defence grouping, Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev told the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi on Thursday.

"We have dialogue partners who would like to become observers or memeber states, and also non-member countries that would like to become observers," Yermekbayev said in response to a question following the 51st Sapru House on the theme of "SCO and India: Strengthening Regional Synergies for Cooperation in Eurasia".

The SCO Secretary-General said that these countries were located in different regions of Eurasia, from South Asia to Southeast Asia to the Middle-East.

"I don't think it is appropriate to name the countries which would become member states as their intentions might change," he added.

Stressing that the SCO was open to every state which shared its principles and values, Yermekbayev expressed hope that there would be some "news" on the expansion of SCO in the near future.

"The current chair [China] of the SCO is also studying these applications and questions very deeply. We will know about the decisions at the next Head of States [HOS] meeting," Yermekbayev said.

The SCO currently comprises 14 full-fledged members-Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
While Belarus was admitted as a full-fledged member at the HOS Summit in Astana last year, Iran was accorded the member status at the virtual leaders' meeting hosted by New Delhi in 2023.
Currently, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkiye, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives, Myanmar, UAE and Kuwait, are SCO's dialogue partners.
Afghanistan and Mongolia currently hold the status of observer states in the Eurasian regional grouping.
Dr. S. Jaishankar at SCO summit (Oct 16, 2024) - Sputnik India, 1920, 16.10.2024
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