Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 

SCO is a Eurasian economic, political and military organisation.

•  Headquarters: Beijing, China
•  Established: 2001 in Shanghai
•  by the leaders 6 countries viz. China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 
• It is an outcome of The Shanghai Five grouping established in 1996 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. 
• SCO’s first enlargement was in 2001 with addition of Uzbekistan and 
• second enlargement was in July 2015 with addition of 2 new members India and Pakistan.
•  Presently it as four observers Afghanistan, Belarus,
•  Iran and Since 2005, India was having an Observer status of SCO and had applied for full membership in 2014.

Observers India and Pakistan have been approved for membership, and are expected to join by 2016.Observer Iran has also submitted an application for full membership.Meanwhile, in 2012 Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka applied for observer status within the organization. Syria has also submitted an application for observer status, while Egypt and the Maldives have applied for dialogue partner status.