Beijing, Sept 23: Pakistan's bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation may not succeed at a key summit of Prime Ministers of the six-member security grouping here next week, diplomatic sources said. The second meeting of the Prime Ministers of the SCO to be held here on September 23 will not discuss its expansion, although some countries, including Pakistan, wished to join it, Chinese sources said. Pakistan's application to join the SCO has been pending since September 2000 since a majority of the Central Asian member states are apprehensive about Islamabad's role in exporting terrorism to their region. "The SCO would like to strengthen its existing structure, before widening its membership," the sources said, adding the main agenda at the meeting would be to finalise plans to open the permanent secretariat office and the regional anti-terrorism centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan by January 1, 2004, pass the budget for next year and launch regional economic development plans.

The SCO is a loose alliance of Russia and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.


"Further promoting regional anti-terrorism cooperation and economic and trade ties would be the important focus of the meeting," Director General of the East European and Central Asian Department of China's Foreign Ministry, Li Hui told reporters here at a special briefing.


Since its inception, the SCO has proved its effectiveness to be a key factor in ensuring peace and stability in the vast Central Asia region, he said while pointing out to joint efforts of the member states to stamp out terrorism in the aftermath of September 11.


Bureau Report