SMK to push for membership
External affairs minister S.M. Krishna will visit Uzbekistan next week for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is likely to endorse the opening up of the membership of the six-member regional grouping to include countries such as India.
India has made its intention of becoming an SCO member very clear and it is coordinating its approach with China and Russia. A source here said India’s membership is subject to the summit approving the criteria for admission of new members.
Established in 2001, the SCO comprises the six countries of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Iran and Pakistan became SCO observers in 2004.
In 2009, Sri Lanka and Belarus became the dialogue partners of SCO.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan is expected to participate in the summit.
However, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is not likely to be present, rendering the chances of a meeting between the Indian and Pakistani delegations very slim.
A source here said the two foreign ministers will in any case meet in July. Mr Qureshi has invited Mr Krishna to visit Pakistan on July 15 for talks aimed at bridging the trust deficit between India and Pakistan.
Mr Krishna has told journalists in Washington after the conclusion of the inaugural India-United States strategic dialogue that New Delhi will want to keep talking to Islamabad in spite of Pakistan not giving satisfaction to India on bringing the 26/11 terrorists to justice.
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