India likely to become member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation soon

NEW DELHI: India is likely to be made a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov indicated on Thursday. Although India has enjoyed observer status at the organisation since 2005, it believes membership of SCO will help expand its footprint in hydrocarbon-rich Central Asia, Russia and Eurasia.

The formal announcement on India's membership could come at the next SCO summit in Ufa, Russia on July 9-10, which PM Narendra Modi may attend. The PM will be in Ufa for the BRICS summit on July 8-9. Pakistan, also an observer, could be made member at the same summit.

"We adopted recommendations paving the way for India and Pakistan's accession to the SCO," Lavrov said after the meeting of foreign ministers of the SCO member states in Russia

Lavrov also indicated that the SCO reviewed Iran's request to be a member of the regional grouping. "Everyone favours raising Iran's status within SCO as part of the settlement of the Iran nuclear issue," he said. A top Indian official is scheduled to will visit Iran, also currently an observer at SCO, in the next few days.

India believes it stands to benefit from the SCO membership since this will help the country participate in major gas and oil exploration projects in Central Asia. Modi is expected to visit all five Central Asian states (four of which are SCO members) during his Russia trip in July.