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Why in Broadcast?

Iran became the new permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping.

SCO was created in 2001. It is permanent international organization.
It works in maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.
It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military alliance.
It is seen as counterweight to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
It is an economic and security block.
It has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional and international organization.
Observer status: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia.
Dialogue Partner status: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka.

Official Language:

Chairmanship:

1996: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan formed Shanghai Five Group.
2001: Uzbekistan joined. Group renamed as Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
2003: Charter signed in 2002. Entered into force in 2003. Charter focused on trade, connectivity and counter- terrorism.
2017: India and Pakistan joined.
2023: Iran joined.

The chaotic exit of the US from Afghanistan has opened up space for Chinese influence and investments in the Central Asian region.
China has drawn Pakistan more tightly in its strategic embrace, and grown ever more assertive on the global stage.
In the light of Ukraine war, West’s relations with Russia have plummeted to their worst-ever levels, while Beijing has declared a “no-limits” friendship with Moscow.
Iran has signed a China-brokered deal to re-establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
A border market was opened at Iran’s border with Pakistan in 2023, despite the fact that they have not shared close ties over the years.
For China, having Iran, with its abundant energy supplies, in the SCO is reassuring as it escalates the tussle with the US. In 2021, China and Iran signed a 25-year deal for cooperation in areas including oil.
For Russia its close regional ally, Belarus, is likely to sign a memorandum of obligations, which will subsequently lead to full membership.

SCO provides India greater visibility in the affairs of strategically important Eurasian region.
SCO enables India, as in integral part of Eurasian security grouping, to neutralize forces arising from religious extremism and terrorism.
Cooperation in 3 critical areas:

Building trade and transportation links,

Dealing with traditional and nontraditional security threats,

Energy