India accorded full membership of SCO at Ufa summit 2015

India has been accorded full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) along with Pakistan at its Ufa summit held in Russia.
Technically, India and Pakistan will become the members of SCO by 2016 after completion of certain procedures.
This membership will help India to work with the 6 members grouping to enhance connectivity, combat terror and create an environment for boosting trade by easing barriers.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• SCO is a Eurasian economic, political and military organisation.
• 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 as four observers Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and
• Since 2005, India was having an Observer status of SCO and had applied for full membership in 2014.

Analysis
SCO membership to India will have significant benefits in

• Economic view: Open up trade, energy sector and strategic transit routes for India between Russia, Central Asia and China.
• As Iran has observer status in the SCO, it will serve as a platform for India to boost trade through the Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar.
• These ports are considered as India’s gateway to Central Asia through International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
• Security grouping: SCO will provide platform for the security grouping for India and Pakistan especially on issue to counter terrorism.
• Provide a valuable interface to engage with security concern of Afghanistan especially its members including India due to pullout international troops.
• SCO may also serve as guarantor for projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipelines, which are held by India due to security concerns.
• Balance in International Politics: In this politically polarised world, SCO will play an important role in counter-balancing India’s perceived tilt on security issues towards US and its allies. Thus, it can help to maintain full balance of India’s relations with the great powers globally.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2015