SCO summit 2016 begins in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

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.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2016