SCO to acquire new quality after Astana summit - Rashid Alimov

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Shanghai Cooperation Organization will acquire a new quality after the Astana Summit, the Secretary General of the Organization, Rashid Alimov, said at the presser in the SCC, Kazinform correspondent reports.  

"As for the prospects for the SCO development, this question will be answered by the leaders of the member states, in the framework of the next summit on June 9. In their declaration, in their statement, they will determine a new vector of the organization's development. Now is the final stage of the entire package of documents preparation, and, of course, the SCO will acquire a new quality after the Astana Summit. Without any doubt," he said.

He also spoke about the SCO expansion.

"As for the expansion, the answer will also be given on June 9, when the decision will be made to grant the status of a full-fledged member of our organization to India and Pakistan," Rashid Alimov said.

India and Pakistan are expected to become full-fledged members of the SCO at the Astana Summit on 8-9 June 2017, at which point, the Secretary-General of the SCO explained, "eight countries will be united by the shared idea of joint progressive development, which is the key goal of interaction within the SCO."

In addition, Rashid Alimov's book about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was presented in Astana.