Learn All About Futuristic India at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was initially formed in 1996, with five countries as the founding members. The founding members of SCO were:

• People’s Republic of China
• The Kyrgyz Republic
• The Republic of Uzbekistan
• The Russian Federation
• The Republic of Tajikistan
• The Republic of Kazakhstan

Before 2001, SCO was known as the Shanghai Five. The former Soviet Republics- Tajikistan, Kyrgyz, Kazakhstan and Russia, held a series of talks with China regarding border and demilitarisation to ensure stability along the borders.

Uzbekistan joined later in 2001, after which Shanghai Five became Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. India and Pakistan became member states in 2017. Before 2017, India was an observer state when it initially joined in 2005.

Aims and Objectives of SCO

The SCO was established to ensure security along the shared borders and to build a military, economic, and political alliance among the countries. The aims and objectives of the SCO are: 

• To strengthen relations among the member states.
• Encourage cooperation in political, trade, and economic affairs, as well as in scientific research, culture, education, energy, transportation, and various other areas.
• To maintain peace, security, and stability in the different regions.
• To create a new international political and economic order, which is democratic and equitable.

India as the Member State of SCO

India, in 2005, initially joined the SCO as an observer state. In 2017, India became a member state, meaning a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. 

India’s engagement was limited with SCO when it joined, since observer states could not participate in significant decision making done by the organisation. By 2010, India’s engagements saw a substantial rise in engagements. The significance of SCO in promoting security, stability, and peace in the region was noticed by the then External Affairs Minister, S. M. Krishna.

India showed interest in becoming a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2010. The reasons cited by India for its application involved many geographical, security, and economic considerations, which included ‘evolving security situation in Afghanistan, building in the Central Asian region, connectivity with Eurasian regions, counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics, and energy cooperation.’ The SCO as an organisation could help build trust between India and other SCO nations by acting as a common platform, which can also help make India’s international relations stronger.

India’s Role in SCO

The recent importance of the SCO’s role in the Eurasian region can benefit India. India, in 2012, formulated a policy focusing on a broad-based approach involving political, security, economic and cultural connection between India and the Central Asian Region. This policy, known as the ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ (CAAP), was reinvigorated in 2015.

India’s permanent membership in the SCO is a three-pronged approach. They are:

• To strengthen ties with Russia, another member state and a long term strategic partner for India
• To control the influence of China and Pakistan, two member states have been India’s adversaries for a long time.
• To encourage cooperation and connectivity with the Central Asian Region (CAR), in accordance with its Connect Central Asia Policy.

The ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ focused on political and security cooperation, with close consultations on Afghanistan, alongside cooperation in the field of energy and other natural resources as well as connectivity between India and the Central Asia Region. The SCO can help India achieve its CAAP objectives by using a common platform to encourage cooperation between India and Central Asia.

In 2017-18, India saw a significant increase in trade with the Central Asian Regions (CARs), wherein the trade rose from $1.4 billion to $2.7 billion. India’s private and public sector companies also saw a rise in investment opportunities, especially in gold mining, uranium, and agro-processing. 

With India as part of SCO, this cooperation in terms of trade and investments can only see growth and opportunity to build new connections and opportunities for both India and CARs. Both India and Central Asia share a common interest in traditional medicine. With India being a significant leader in that field, cooperation between the member nations can see an advancement in conventional medicine. 

Conclusion

To summarise, India’s role in SCO is beneficial to both India and the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations. With India’s interest in connecting Central Asia, India is working towards more futuristic political, economic and trade cooperation.