Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Mains level: Importance of SCO for India;
Why in the News?
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informally interacted with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during the SCO summit’s concluding lunch in Islamabad.
About SCO:
- The SCO was established in 2001 to promote regional cooperation in security, economic development, and cultural exchange among its member states, which include China, India, Russia, Pakistan, and several Central Asian countries.
- The organization represents around 40% of the global population, making it one of the largest regional groups. Its influence spans economic, political, and security dimensions.
- The SCO focuses on combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism (the “three evils”), enhancing regional security, and fostering economic collaboration among member states.
- The SCO holds annual summits, rotating between member countries, to discuss various topics ranging from economic cooperation to regional security challenges.
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What were the major insights during SCO 2024 summit?
- Diplomatic Engagement: The informal interaction between India’s External Affairs Minister and Pakistan’s leadership marked a notable shift in diplomatic engagement, highlighting a more constructive tone compared to previous meetings.
- Avoidance of Contentious Issues: Both India and Pakistan’s leaders refrained from discussing sensitive topics such as Kashmir, indicating a focus on cooperation rather than conflict during this summit.
- Collective Responsibility: The Indian foreign minister emphasized the need for an “honest conversation” about trust and cooperation in the SCO region, highlighting the importance of addressing concerns over terrorism and separatism in fostering trade and connectivity.
- Positive Outcomes: The summit resulted in the signing of eight documents, including proposals for economic dialogue, cooperation in the creative economy, and strategies for addressing challenges in areas like green development and digital economy.
- Future Cooperation: The joint statement from the summit emphasized optimizing the region’s potential in various sectors such as trade, innovation, and climate change, indicating a commitment to collaborative economic growth.
Challenges for India:
- India-Pakistan Relations: Pakistan’s membership complicates India’s position within the SCO. The rivalry between India and Pakistan can hinder India’s ability to assert its interests effectively, especially since China and Russia are influential players in the organization.
- Balancing Relations: India’s participation in the SCO necessitates a delicate balancing act between its traditional ties with Russia and its growing partnerships with Western nations. This is particularly challenging given the SCO’s often anti-Western posture.
Way forward:
- Strengthen Regional Cooperation: India should prioritize common interests within the SCO, such as counter-terrorism, economic development, and connectivity, while using diplomatic channels to reduce tensions with Pakistan and maintain constructive dialogue.
- Strategic Balancing: India can pursue a balanced approach by aligning its SCO engagements with its broader foreign policy goals, leveraging partnerships with Russia and Central Asia while carefully managing its ties with Western nations.
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: SCO and its expansion
Why in the News?
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on behalf of Prime Minister Modi.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
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Details |
| Introduction |
- Established in 2001 by China and Russia, the SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization.
- It spans about 80% of Eurasia and encompasses 40% of the world’s population, with a GDP of around 20% of global GDP as of 2021.
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| Origins |
- Successor to the Shanghai Five, formed in 1996 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
- It evolved into the SCO in 2001 with the inclusion of Uzbekistan.
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| Expansion |
- India and Pakistan joined in June 2017, followed by Iran in July 2023, and Belarus in July 2024.
- Several other countries participate as observers and dialogue partners.
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| Governance |
- Governed by the Heads of State Council (HSC), the supreme decision-making body that meets annually.
- Includes the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) as a key component for security coordination.
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| Key Structures |
- Heads of State Council: Supreme decision-making body.
- Heads of Government Council: Discusses multilateral cooperation and approves budgets.
- Council of Foreign Ministers: Regular meetings on international affairs.
- Council of National Coordinators: Coordinates multilateral efforts.
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| Secretariat |
- Headquartered in Beijing, China, the Secretariat executes organizational decisions, drafts documents, and promotes SCO activities.
- Secretary-General serves a 3-year term.
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| RATS Executive Committee |
- Based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, RATS fosters cooperation against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
- The director serves a three-year term overseeing these efforts.
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| Official Languages |
Chinese and Russian are the SCO’s official languages. |
| Key Agreements |
- Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions (1996)
- Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions (1997)
- Declaration on a “multipolar world” (1997)
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| Major Activities |
- Annual summits and meetings across member states;
- Initiatives in transportation, energy, and telecommunications;
- Regular gatherings of security, defence, economic, and cultural officials.
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| International Relations |
Established partnerships with various global bodies including the UN, ASEAN, CIS, CSTO, ECO, and CICA, reflecting its broad engagement in regional and international affairs. |
Strategic Significance of SCO for India
- Open-door for bilateral: Membership facilitates India’s engagement with Central Asian nations and major regional powers like China and Russia on shared security challenges.
- China-Russia Dynamics: SCO serves as a platform for China and Russia to assert influence and counter Western dominance in international forums.
- Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Dispute: India’s stance against endorsing BRI projects through SCO reflects its concerns over sovereignty, particularly regarding CPEC passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
About Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country and the ninth-largest country by land area, spanning an area of 2.7 million square kilometres.
- It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the southwest
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PYQ:
[2022] Consider the following:
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Missile Technology Control Regime
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
India is a member of which of the above?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
[2021] Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India? |
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
Mains level: Read the attached story
With Pakistan PM listening, Prime Minister Modi urged Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states to “give each other full right to transit”.
Why in news?
- PM Modi framed the right to transit in the context of connectivity and how it could help establish reliable and resilient supply chains in the region.
Why did PM pitch this?
- Lack of transit across Pakistan’s territory has been a challenge for India to access Central Asian markets.
- Iran’s President also said that despite the impressive potential, infrastructural connections in the field of transit between members of the SCO are not so extensive.
- Iran already provides special priority to the development of the North-South Corridor and has made huge investments.
What is International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)?
- The INSTC is a 7,200 km-long multimodal transportation network encompassing sea, road, and rail routes to offer the shortest route of connectivity.
- It was established on 12th September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States.
- It links the Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea via the Persian Gulf onwards into Russia and Northern Europe.
- It will move freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Significance of INSTC
- Trade facilitation: INSTC is aimed at reducing the carriage cost between India and Russia by about 30 percent and bringing down the transit time by more than half.
- New corridor in making: It has the potential to transform the economies of countries along the corridor into specialized manufacturing, logistics, and transit hubs by facilitating access to newer markets.
- Multimodal transit: The recent Suez Canal blockade, which cost the global economy hefty damage amounting to US$9 billion, has amplified the optimistic outlook towards the INSTC as a cheaper and faster alternative multimodal transit corridor.
Benefits offered to India
- Export promotion: The INSTC connects India with Central Asia, and Russia, and has the potential to expand up to the Baltic, Nordic, and Arctic regions, increasing the scope of trade multifold.
- Ease of trade: For India, it provides a shorter trade route with Iran, Russia, and beyond to Europe, creating scope for increased economic engagement.
- Alternative Route to Central Asia: It opens up a permanent alternative route for India to trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, given the hurdles in the direct route through Pakistan.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: SCO
Mains level: Read the attached story
Iran and Belarus are likely to be the two newest additions to the China and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grouping.
What is SCO?
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
- The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
- The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
- Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.
- The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.
India’s entry to the SCO
- India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
- While Central Asian countries and China were not in favor of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
- A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
- From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO in 2017.
- China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.
Why expand now?
- China and Russia are looking to frame the grouping as a counter to the West — particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- China wishes to draw a sharp contrast between the SCO and NATO.
Changing narrative of SCO
- There has been discussion in the international arena that the trend of non-alignment is back.
- NATO is based on Cold War thinking.
- The logic of NATO is creating new enemies to sustain its own existence.
- However, SCO is a cooperative organisation based on non-alignment and not targeting a third party.
India and SCO: Present status
- India will host the SCO summit next year, and Varanasi has been selected as the SCO region’s first “Tourism and Cultural Capital”.
- India will also be chairing the summit.
Try this PYQ now:
In the context of the affairs of which of the following is the phrase “Special Safeguard Mechanisms” mentioned in the news frequently?
(a) United Nations Environment Programme
(b) World Trade Organization
(c) ASEAN- India Free Trade Agreement
(d) G-20 Summits
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- India's engagement with Central Asia
Context
The inaugural India-Central Asia Summit, the India-Central Asia Dialogue, and the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan in New Delhi — all held over the past four months — collectively indicate a renewed enthusiasm in New Delhi to engage the Central Asian region.
Significance of Central Asia for India
- India has limited economic and other stakes in the region, primarily due to lack of physical access.
- And yet, the region appears to have gained a great deal of significance in India’s strategic thinking over the years, particularly in the recent past.
- New geopolitical realities: India’s mission Central Asia today reflects, and is responsive to, the new geopolitical, if not the geo-economic, realities in the region.
Factors driving India’s engagement
- One of the factors driving this engagement and shaping it is the great power dynamics there.
- Withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan: The decline of American presence and power in the broader region (due primarily to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan) has led to a reassertion by China and Russia seeking to fill the power vacuum.
- India-Russia relations: Moscow considers India to be a useful partner in the region: it helps it to not only win back New Delhi, which is moving towards the U.S., but also to subtly checkmate the rising Chinese influence in its backyard.
- For the U.S., while growing India-Russia relations is not a welcome development, it recognises the utility of Moscow-New Delhi relations in Central Asia to offset Beijing’s ever-growing influence there.
- India’s dilemma: In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, New Delhi faces a major dilemma in the wider region, not just in the pre-existing theatres like the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control.
- India’s China challenge: India in the region might get further hemmed in due to the combined efforts by China, Pakistan and Taliban-led Afghanistan.
- If so, it must ensure that there is no China-led strategic gang up with Pakistan and the Taliban against India in the region, which, if it becomes a reality, would severely damage Indian interests.
- Consolidation of Afghan policy: India’s engagement of Central Asia would also help it to consolidate its post-American Afghan policy.
- Now that the Taliban have returned to Kabul, New Delhi is forced to devise new ways of engaging Afghanistan.
- That’s where the Central Asian Republics (CARs) and Russia could be helpful.
- The announcement of a Joint Working Group on Afghanistan during the summit between India and the CARs is surely indicative of such interest.
Russia’s prominence
- In India’s current vision for a regional security architecture, Russia appears prominent
- Countering China: By courting Russia — its traditional partner, also close to China and getting closer to Pakistan — to help it re-establish its presence in the Central Asian region, India is seeking to work with one of the region’s strongest powers and also potentially create a rift between China and Russia.
- Joint defence production by India and Russia has been on the rise and the CARs could play a key role in it.
- India’s non-critical stance on developments in Ukrain and Kazakhstan: This growing India-Russia partnership also explains India’s non-critical stance on the developments in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Challenges in India’s engagement with Central Asia
- China’s dominance in the region: China, which shares a land border with the region, is already a major investor there.
- Iran’s role: An even bigger challenge for India may be Iran.
- India’s best shot at reaching the CARs is by using a hybrid model – via sea to Chabahar and then by road/rail through Iran (and Afghanistan) to the CARs.
- So, for New Delhi, the ongoing re-negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action are of crucial importance.
- While Iran getting close to the West is not preferred by Russia (but preferred by India), if and when it becomes a reality, India would be able to use it to its advantage and join Russia in engaging the CARs.
- Delivering on the commitment: Most importantly, India will have to walk the talk on its commitments to Central Asia.
- Does it have the political will, material capability and diplomatic wherewithal to stay the course in the region?
Conclusion
India’s renewed engagement of Central Asia is in the right direction for the simple reason that while the gains from an engagement of Central Asia may be minimal, the disadvantages of non-engagement could be costly in the longer run.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: CTSO, NATO
Mains level: Not Much
The Prime Minister has participated virtually in the Joint SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization)-CSTO Outreach Session on Afghanistan.
What is CSTO?
- The CSTO is a Russia-led military alliance of seven former Soviet states that was created in 2002.
- Current CSTO members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan. Afghanistan and Serbia hold observer status in the CSTO.
- Its purpose is to ensure the collective defence of any member that faces external aggression.
- It has been described by political scientists as the Eurasian counterpart of NATO, which has 29 member states, while the CSTO has just six.
Outlined functions of CSTO
- CSTO supports arms sales and manufacturing as well as military training and exercises, making the CSTO the most important multilateral defence organization in the former Soviet Union.
- Beyond mutual defence, the CSTO also coordinates efforts in fighting the illegal circulation of weapons among member states and has developed law enforcement training for its members in pursuit of these aims.
What does CSTO membership provide?
- While CSTO membership means that member states are barred from joining other military alliances, limiting, for example, their relationship with NATO.
- Its members receive discounts, subsidies, and other incentives to buy Russian arms, facilitating military cooperation.
- Most importantly, membership presumes certain key security assurances – the most significant of which is deterring military aggression by third countries.
- In the CSTO, aggression against one signatory is perceived as aggression against all.
- It however remains unclear whether this feature works in practice.
Back2Basics: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
- NATO was found in the aftermath of the Second World War.
- Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.
- It is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.
- It sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.
- Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- NATO has spread a web of partners, namely Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: SCO
Mains level: Role of SCO in Afghan Peace
On the face of it, the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this week in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is well placed to lead the stabilization of Afghanistan after the American retreat.
About SCO
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
- The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
- The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
- Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.
- The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.
India’s and the SCO
- India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
- While Central Asian countries and China were not in favor of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
- A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
- From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO. China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.
Afghanistan and SCO
- Afghanistan has been engaged with the SCO for over 15 years.
- In 2012, Afghanistan became an observer in the SCO when then-Afghan president Hamid Karzai visited China.
- In 2015, Kabul applied for full membership in the group.
- Kabul sought to be a member of the SCO as it believes that it is a natural candidate.
- Geographically, Afghanistan is a part of the SCO region.
Limited (or No) progress made by SCO
- For all the political hype, the SCO has not deepened regionalism in Central Asia.
- Two decades after its formation — it was set up just weeks before the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington — the institutional promise of the SCO remains just that — a promise.
- Seen from the subcontinent, the SCO certainly looks better than the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
- That India and Pakistan, whose differences have prevented even regular meetings of SAARC, are actively participating in the SCO, would point to its attractiveness.
- But then SAARC is such a low bar.
Opportunities for role-play in Afghanistan
The crisis in Afghanistan presents a major opportunity for the SCO to realize its regional ambitions.
- Involvement of regional superpowers: The SCO’s importance for Afghanistan seems self-evident when you look at its sponsors and members. Its founding leaders are the two great powers of the east — Russia and China.
- Neighborhood are members: Its other initial members were Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan to the north and northeast of Afghanistan.
- Observers vested interest: Besides Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia are observers. Iran is said to be on track for full membership.
- Many dialogue partners: The SCO has a number of “dialogue partners”. They include Armenia and Azerbaijan from the neighboring Caucasus region and Turkey a step further to the West. Nepal and Sri Lanka from the subcontinent and Cambodia from southeast Asia are also dialogue partners.
Issues with SCO
- China centrism: For an organization that bears the name of Shanghai, but is focused on Central Asia, its associates look disparate.
- Lack of coherence: The Central Asian members of the SCO have quarrels of their own, and have struggled to develop collective approaches to their common regional security challenges.
- Dint go beyond dialogues: As it broadened its membership, the SCO has, unsurprisingly, struggled to deepen institutional cooperation.
- Not comprehensive: There is also one important country missing in the mix. It is Turkmenistan, which shares an 800 km border with Afghanistan and a 1,150 km border with Iran.
- Neutrality of members: The organizing principle of Turkmenistan rulers is absolute “neutrality” — think of it as an extreme form of “non-alignment”. It refuses to join any regional institution, political or military.
- Individual interests: Russia’s effort to build a regional institution in its Central Asian periphery ran parallel to its plans for the so-called “strategic triangle” with China and India. India and Pakistan, needless to say, are poles apart on the Taliban.
No common interest in Afghan Peace
- The US military retreat from Afghanistan has brought cheer to both Moscow and Beijing, although publicly they criticize President Joe Biden’s hasty retreat.
- The US retreat might weaken the glue that binds Moscow and Beijing in Central Asia or tightens it.
- Although Russia and China are closer to each other than ever before, their interests are not entirely the same in Central Asia.
Russian alternatives to SCO
(1) Central Security Treaty Organisation
- While military confidence-building measures have grown under the SCO banner, Russia had its own security organisation for the region, called the Central Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
- Three of the SCO members — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan — along with Armenia and Belarus are members of the CSTO.
- Russia sees itself as the sole protector of the former Soviet Republics and may not be ready to share that role with China — “yes” to coordination, but “no” to a Sino-Russian security dyarchy.
(2) Eurasian Economic Union
- Moscow also appears reluctant to back Chinese proposals to promote trade integration under the SCO banner; it prefers the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) under its own leadership.
- China is not a member of either CSTO or EAEU. This is one reason for the weakness of SCO regionalism.
Other deterrents
(1) Affinity with Taliban
- China has openly admitted to cooperating with the Taliban by restoring all formal diplomatic ties. It is the first such country to acknowledge the Taliban.
- Turkmenistan too, which is not part of SCO, has been quite open to engaging the Taliban in sync with its principles of neutrality.
- Some Russian analysts see Turkmenistan as the potential weak link in the defense against the Taliban’s potential threats to the region.
- Uzbekistan seems open to a cautious engagement with the Taliban.
(2) Iranian aspirations for unwarranted interference (just like Turkey does regarding Kashmir)
- Iran, which has ethnic and linguistic links with the Persian-speaking Tajiks, appears equally worried about the Taliban’s policies towards minorities.
- As Moscow and Beijing, Tehran was happy to see the Americans leave in humiliation and appeared hopeful of a positive engagement with the Taliban.
- Those hopes may have been suspended for now, if not discarded.
What can the SCO do now?
- The Afghanistan debacle presents an opportunity for the SCO to play a constructive role in meeting the region’s burgeoning security challenge.
- Providing humanitarian relief, tending to refugees, facilitating an inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation constitute immediate and long-term goals in which the organization can fill a role.
- The SCO can also pressure the Taliban to share power with other domestic actors and refrain from providing sanctuary to foreign terror organizations (through foreign funds from Saudi*).
- It can suspend Afghanistan’s observer status, curtail border traffic or withhold recognition, investments, and aid, should Kabul be found wanting.
Way forward
- While the SCO is not an impressive regional institution, it remains an important diplomatic forum.
- India has sought to make full use of the SCO’s diplomatic possibilities without any illusions about its effectiveness.
- At the SCO summit this week, PM Modi would remind other leaders of the “three evils” that the SCO set out to defeat — terrorism, extremism, and separatism.
- Few would disagree that the Taliban embodied all the three sins in the past. Today, the Taliban and its mentor Pakistan say the sinner wants to become a saint.
- India must focus on finding common ground with those members of the SCO who do share India’s concerns about Afghanistan.
Conclusion
- Given this divergence, it is unlikely that the SCO can come up with a “regional solution” for the Afghan crisis.
- The only real Afghan convergence today is between Pakistan and China.
- Expect them to try and nudge the SCO towards a positive engagement with the Taliban.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: SCO
Mains level: India-SCO cooperation
The Union Cabinet has accorded an ex post facto approval for signing and ratifying an agreement on cooperation in the field of mass media between all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Highlights of the Agreement
- The agreement, which was signed in June 2019, would provide an opportunity for the member states to share best practices and new innovations in the field of mass media.
- It aims to promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among associations in the field of mass media.
- The main areas of cooperation in the agreement are the creation of favorable conditions for the wide and mutual distribution of information through mass media in order to further deepen the knowledge about the lives of the peoples of their states.
- It will assist in broadcasting television and radio programmer and those, distributed legally within the territory of the state of the other side.
What is SCO?
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
- The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
- The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
- Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.
- The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.
Try this PYQ now:
Q. In the context of the affairs of which of the following is the phrase “Special Safeguard Mechanisms” mentioned in the news frequently?
(a) United Nations Environment Programme
(b) World Trade Organization
(c) ASEAN- India Free Trade Agreement
(d) G-20 Summits
India’s entry to the SCO
- India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
- While Central Asian countries and China were not in favor of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
- A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
- From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO. China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: SCO
Mains level: SCO and India
In an indirect reference to the Chinese infrastructure projects in PoK, our PM has urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to respect “territorial integrity” and “sovereignty”.
What is SCO?
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
- The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
- The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
- Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.
- The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.
Try this PYQ now:
Q. In the context of the affairs of which of the following is the phrase “Special Safeguard Mechanisms” mentioned in the news frequently?
(a) United Nations Environment Programme
(b) World Trade Organization
(c) ASEAN- India Free Trade Agreement
(d) G-20 Summits
India’s entry to the SCO
- India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
- While Central Asian countries and China were not in favour of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
- A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
- From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO. China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.
Tap to read more about SCO
