Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating a webinar on seamless implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Cantonment areas organised by Directorate General of Defence Estates, in New Delhi.

Rajnath Singh

India-China

India, Russia, China uniting on rising protectionism, WTO reforms at SCO

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Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev (4th L), Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L), Russian President Vladimir Putin (4th R), Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (Extreme Right) and other Heads of Del

Photo: Shutterstock

India's SCO membership will help drive its economic growth:PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Tashkent summit

India to sign memorandum of obligation to join SCO

Confidence building steps the way forward in Indo-Pak talks

<div>
	Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation. Having begun as the Shanghai Five in 1996 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, it was rechristened as the SCO in 2001. The SCO entered into force on 19 September 2003.</div>
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	&nbsp;</div>

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	<strong>The aim of SCO is to establish cooperation between member nations on:</strong></div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<ul>
	<li>
		Security-related concerns</li>
	<li>
		Resolving border issues</li>
	<li>
		Military cooperation</li>
	<li>
		Intelligence sharing</li>
	<li>
		Countering terrorism</li>
	<li>
		Countering American influence in Central Asia</li>
</ul>
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	&nbsp;</div>
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	<strong>Members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation</strong></div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Apart from the founding members, Uzbekistan joined the group later as a permanent member. India and Pakistan are the newest inclusion to the Organisation and it added another 1.45 billion people in the SCO making the group cover around 40 per cent of the global population. Both these nations signed the memoranda for becoming a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2016.</div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>The eight permanent members of the SCO are:</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<ul>
	<li>
		China</li>
	<li>
		Kazakhstan</li>
	<li>
		Kyrgyzstan</li>
	<li>
		Russia</li>
	<li>
		Tajikistan</li>
	<li>
		Uzbekistan</li>
	<li>
		India</li>
	<li>
		Pakistan</li>
</ul>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO</div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>The current Council of Heads of State consists of:</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<ul>
	<li>
		Ram Nath Kovind (India)</li>
	<li>
		Vladimir Putin (Russia)</li>
	<li>
		Xi Jinping (China)</li>
	<li>
		Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan)</li>
	<li>
		Arif Alvi (Pakistan)</li>
	<li>
		Sooronbai Jeenbekov (Kyrgyzstan)</li>
	<li>
		Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan)</li>
	<li>
		Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan)</li>
</ul>
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	<strong>SCO summits</strong></div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Members of the SCO meet once a year and adopt decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation.</div>
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	<strong>Why India&#39;s membership to SCO matters?</strong></div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
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	Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is seen as an eastern counter-balance to NATO. With India being its member, it will allow the country to push effective action in combating terrorism and on issues related to security.</div>
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	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	With the presence of India and China, the world&#39;s most populous countries, SCO is now the organisation that has the largest population coverage.</div>
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	&nbsp;</div>

Learn about what is SCO, how it came into existence, members, latest news, photos, videos and more here at Business Standard.

Page 2 - Latest Updates on SCO

Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow amid Ladakh standoff

India to host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in 2020: Secy general

India, Russia, China uniting on rising protectionism, WTO reforms at SCO

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India calls for enhanced connectivity, unimpeded trade among SCO members

Don't bring bilateral hostility in SCO, play by rules: China to India, Pak

India's SCO membership will help drive its economic growth:PM

India's membership to SCO will strengthen regional security: PM Modi

India to sign memorandum of obligation to join SCO

India-Pak SCO entry may have negative effect on grouping, says Chinese paper