SCO summit to take up India's membership

The process of making India a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will start at the organization's upcoming summit, a senior official with China's Foreign Affairs ministry said on Wednesday.

Gui Congyou also said that India is expected to play an active role in implementing connections between China’s Silk Road proposals and Russia’s initiative for the Eurasian Economic Union.

He made his comments at a briefing after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met before the Wednesday-Friday BRICS and SCO summits.

Gui said both leaders achieved a comprehensive consensus on “mechanism, areas and projects” to implementing connections of China’s Silk Road proposal and Russia’s initiative for the Eurasian Economic Union.

Gui said the SCO summit will start the process of approving India and Pakistan as members of the organization in line with SCO legal procedures.

When asked about India’s accession as a SCO member and its role in implementing China’s Silk Road proposals, Gui responded that all SCO members have given “positive comments” about India’s SCO membership.

``We believe this SCO summit will give India due assessment and conclusion on its status boosting in the organization,” he said. “It means India will be given due conclusion on its legal position within SCO.”

But Gui stressed that India needs to abide by the SCO’s legal procedures in moving from an observer country to a member.

``So I think India will be playing an active role in connecting Silk Road proposals and Russia’s initiative of the Eurasian Economic Union,” Gui said.

Gui said SCO has attracted tremendous attention worldwide. “Some look forward to set up contacts, some dialogues partners want to become observers and some observers want to become members,” she said. “The trends have shown the influence of the SCO.”

Pakistan has already been active in materializing the One Belt and One Road proposals, and during Xi’s visit in first half this year, both sides have signed multi-billion-dollar contacts for cooperation.