India believes that the SCO will emerge as one of the most significant organization in the coming years and will be effectively contributing to regional security and in bringing economic stability in the region. India therefore wants to play more pro-active role in the region by joining the SCO as a full member.

       The 12th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leadership summit was held in Beijing on 6th -7th June 2012. This annual summit brought together the heads of States and other dignitaries of the SCO member and observer states to discuss various issues of mutual strategic interest. The SCO summit this year focused deeply on the situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the departure of US led NATO troops in 2014. Looking into the geographic location of all SCO states and their proximity with Afghanistan, SCO is trying to be an effective regional platform to stabilize situation in Afghanistan mainly after 2014. Iranian nuclear issue was also discussed during the Summit. SCO leaders expressed deep concern over the developments surrounding Iran. The member states supported the P5+1 and Iran in opening sustainable dialogue process and efforts to find a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and talks between relevant parties.

       India has been attending the SCO Summits since 2005. This year SCO summit was attended by India’s External Affairs Minister, Shri S.M. Krishna. However, in the Yekaterinburg summit in June 2009, India signaled a major shift in its attitude towards SCO when Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh attended the summit himself. This clearly indicated India’s seriousness about the organization. And when India comes into a grouping or association, it brings with it many positives and strengths. India has been moving in a positive direction for finalizing the modalities for becoming full member of SCO. However, things are moving very slowly in that direction from SCO secretariats side. Despite assertions by Russia (one of the main pillars of SCO) to elevate India’s status from observer to a full member status, things are not moving as expected. China (another main pillar of SCO) is seen to be hedging and resorting to technical procedures to what some see as an attempt to stonewall India's admission into the grouping where China enjoys pre-eminence. Though China has not explicitly opposed India’s full membership issue, but speculation is that probably Beijing will look for a deal with New Delhi for supporting China to become a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in return of India’s SCO membership. However, if India gets full member status, Pakistan, too will be accommodated as a full member of SCO.

       Overall SCO has achieved many significant goals in last 10 years period. Security and economic cooperation are still the two major areas of focus for SCO. All member and observer states of the SCO have adhered to the Shanghai Spirit and signed the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. They’ve promoted the idea of lasting peace and friendship, which has been widely accepted and supported by people of all member/observer states of the organization. Over the last few years international prestige and influence of SCO has also grown significantly. If SCO member states enhance cooperation and remain united they can effectively cope-up with the emerging challenges, safeguard regional peace and achieve common development. SCO can become a harmonious community, which can protect the regional security and stability and can become a driving force to boost regional economic development, as well as an effective platform for increasing international exchanges and influence. SCO should also encourage boosting people-to-people exchanges to make it more international and vibrant organization.

       SCO is also thinking of establishing an SCO Development Bank, to support member countries to implement various projects and help in case of financial crises. The SCO has also decided to improve transport corridors to boost up trade and economic cooperation and increase connectivity. The New Silk Road’s purpose is to bridge the gap between the continents. “The New Silk Road”, is part of the rail and road link between Asia and Europe. Once the “Silk Road” connectivity starts functioning, it’ll connect South Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia further with Europe much easily.

       SCO members have carried-out joint military drills within the framework of the SCO. Since 2002, when the first joint military exercise under SCO auspices took place, number of such exercises has been staged by member states. Although such exercises have expanded in scale and drawn the participation of troops from different military branches, these exercises have mainly tried to improve the cooperative proficiency of the security forces in case of a regional terror attack.

       India believes that the SCO will emerge as one of the most significant organization in the coming years and will be effectively contributing to regional security and in bringing economic stability in the region. India therefore wants to play more pro-active role in the region by joining the SCO as a full member. Three major issues are of key importance to India they are of 1) cooperation in achieving energy security; 2) cooperation in improving transport connectivity between Asia and Europe; 3) cooperation for tackling increased terrorism and drugs trafficking issues. India has already started dialogue with the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), the SCO's premier counter-terror body. As part of the India’s Ministry of External Affair’s “Eurasia Asia Policy”, there has been a considerable development of friendly relationship and cooperation with India and the countries of SCO members over the past 10 years. However, a multilateral forum like SCO as compared to a bilateral forum/dialogue will provide India the advantage to discuss issues and concerns at a higher level with divergent views.

       India can use the SCO platform to improve its stake in the region and in maintaining peace and stability in its immediate as well as in its extended neighborhood. India wants to dismiss the fears of some of the SCO states on prospects of India and Pakistan turning the SCO into a battlefield for solving there mutual dispute. Rather, India always emphasized on the need of keeping the bilateral issues out of the SCO’s ambit. In fact, India wants to put forward the proposal of suspending the membership application of any country weather it is India or Pakistan that might try to raise bilateral issues within the SCO ambit. Nonetheless, it is felt that the presence of India, Russia, Pakistan and China within one SCO platform might actually help in balancing the diverse interests within the organization.

       Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.