
M. Ashraf Haidari
March 1, 2019
Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari wrote an article for the Diplomat (also published in the Pioneer, the ToloNews , and ORF) about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's role in de-escalating India-Pakistan tensions.
India and Pakistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as full member states during the June 2017 SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. Before the addition of the two South Asian nations, the SCO consisted of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The now eight-member SCO also has four observer states, including Afghanistan, and six dialogue partners, including Sri Lanka. Together, they constitute much of Asia’s geography, with a population of over 3 billion people.
The foundational purpose of SCO as the largest intergovernmental organization in the world is to strengthen mutual trust and promote good neighborly relations among its member states. This is to be achieved through gradual but consistent efforts by the SCO member states to engage in multifaceted cooperation to advance their collective, common interest in the sustainable human and protective security of the SCO space. Parallel to this, the SCO seeks to establish a more democratic and rational world order.