Shanghai Group to approve development strategy up to 2025 at Ufa summit - Putin

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is due to approve a new key document, the strategy of the group’s development up to 2025, at the summit in the Russian city of Ufa, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. "A new core document declaring priorities of work as part of the SCO - the Strategy of Development of Organization up to 2025" is planned to be endorsed, Putin told a ceremony of accepting credentials from foreign ambassadors. The SCO summit that Russia will host in July "will traditionally consider the issues of regional security," Putin said. "We expect the adoption of important decisions on launching a process of the SCO expansion," he said. "We are convinced that the accession to the organization of new states - India and Pakistan - will strengthen the authority of the SCO and allow an efficient fight against terrorism, illegal drug trafficking and other issues," Putin said. Currently, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan enjoy the observer status. In September 2014, Pakistan and India officially applied for full-fledged membership in the organization. Iran also seeks such membership. Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey have a status of a dialogue partner. Read more